


No Fate But What We Make

by Underneath



Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Punisher (TV 2017), The Terminator - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Frank travels through time to save Karen, Homage to a classic :), Small mentions of a few other MCU characters, Terminator AU, They fight for their lives, because reasons, kastle - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2020-07-27 15:28:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20048308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Underneath/pseuds/Underneath
Summary: Karen couldn’t move. She didn’t think she had control of her legs anymore. He took her arm again, tugged at her hard. It hurt, but she barely noticed. She was in complete shock. All she could do was stare up at him. Wide eyed. Terrified.He crouched, cupped her face in his hands. His touch oddly gentle in the middle of all this violence. Black eyes scorched her blue ones.“Come with me if you want to live.”





	1. Chapter 1

There was a blinding flash of light.

He hit the ground hard. Naked flesh slapping against the cold concrete. He could barely see, barely think, barely breathe. He could barely breathe. He curled in on himself, instinctively shrinking away from the assault on his senses.

_Air, dammit… breathe…_

He opened his mouth in a silent scream and dragged air into his unwilling chest, heaving in desperation until- _finally_\- air burst into his starved lungs. He was gasping, gulping. The ache of how hard he’d slammed into the ground began to throb throughout his entire body. Struggling to regulate his breaths, to focus his vision, Frank looked around.

He was in an alley. He was alone. It was dark. The unfamiliar smell of rotting garbage filled his senses. There were rats, lots of them. Without even thinking, Frank reached out to them, before remembering that’s not what he’s here for. He hadn’t been able to help himself. Catching a glimpse of any scuttling animal was so rare… and to see so many of them all together- it was amazing. Where he’s from, finding this many animals all at once would have been like Christmas and New Year’s Day put together. Then again, where he’s from they don’t celebrate Christmas, and the New Year is just another day to fight for survival.

Frank clutched his head with both hands, fingers trying to grasp on to hair that was too short to grip. His thoughts were… fuzzy. Confused. The time travel had taken a toll on him. Frank felt like he’d been starved for days, and then run a marathon, and then gotten his ass kicked. He hadn’t anticipated this. How could he have? He was the first human to ever do it.

Frank groaned as his thoughts started to coalesce. He remembered the chaos from his last moments in his own time, his last moments with his Commander, Connor Page. The leader who Frank would have followed straight into hell. No questions asked. Any day. _Every _day.

> The sounds of gunfire and metal clashing were alive in the distance. Connor’s voice cut through the confusion.
> 
> “The photo! You remember it? You know it by heart?” He growled at him.
> 
> Frank’s heart clenched. _Of course._ He knew that photo better than he knew his own face.
> 
> “Yes, Sir.”
> 
> “Good.” Connor gripped Frank by both arms. “And the message?”
> 
> “Memorized, Sir. Every word.”
> 
> Connor nodded back, his eyes boring into Frank’s with their ice blue fury. Fury that Frank had come to recognize as fear as they had fought and bled together over the years. The two soldiers were a cohesive unit, in sync in almost every way.
> 
> “My mother. Karen Page. You have to find her.”
> 
> Frank shuddered, suddenly feeling light headed, overwhelmed by the responsibility. This was important. The most important mission in the history of mankind. Connor shook him.
> 
> _“Is that clear, Soldier?”_ He barked.
> 
> “Yes, Sir.” Frank nodded back.
> 
> Connor’s stare pierced Frank. Connor had this way about him… when he looked at Frank, it felt like he could see straight into his soul.
> 
> Connor slapped his big palm against Frank’s shoulder, motioning for him to step up on to the pad of what Frank had just learned was a time machine. A goddamn _time machine_\- There was no time to question any of it… no matter how crazy it seemed.
> 
> “You won’t have your communicator, or any weapons. You won’t have anything. Only living tissue can travel.” Connor shouted. Frank nodded. “Remember the picture. Remember the name Karen Page.”
> 
> The sounds of battle were getting louder, closer. Connor’s ice blue eyes lit on fire with urgency.
> 
> “They’ve already sent one through. You have to find her, Frank. Save her.”
> 
> Frank nodded again, unable to form words, still feeling dazed as under the weight of his task. Connor activated the machine. Frank got goosebumps, every hair on his body standing straight up, he could see the electricity in the air all around him, hear the crackling power. The two men locked eyes. One last time, it felt like Connor was searching his entire soul, reading him like a book.
> 
> And then everything went white...

Frank shook himself from his memories. Back to the present. Back to the past really... He didn’t have time to dwell on the insanity of this situation. Connor’s voice was echoing through Frank’s mind.

_“They already sent one through. You have to find her, Frank.”_

_Shit-_ he could already be too late. He had to find her. Karen Page.

He pushed himself off the ground, looking down at his bloody scraped body and realizing he needed clothes immediately. He stumbled down the alley, no sense of direction, not a clue of where to start. _What the hell was he going to do…_

He heard a rustling in the piles of trash. Frank’s head whipped around. It was an older man, bleary eyed and filthy. Filthy enough that he actually looked like he was from Frank’s time.

The man blinked up at Frank and slurred, “Hey buddy, did you just see a real bright light?”

There was no time to lose. Frank crouched and slammed his fist into the man’s temple, a spot he knew would be a guaranteed knockout. The guy went limp and Frank bit back the sting of guilt. This was the oldest man Frank had ever seen. They didn’t really _have_ old men where he was from… but there was no time for luxuries like guilt and remorse. He had business. Frank rapidly donned the guy’s pants and was about to take his shirt, when- out of nowhere, bright lights were flashing all around him, loud sirens screamed into the air. Frank had no idea what the hell it was, but he knew in his gut that it wasn’t good. He took off.

Frank was sprinting through the alleys, operating on pure instinct. He felt near euphoria when he realized it wasn’t a machine chasing him- it was a man, just a man. Frank vaulted over a fence and changed directions down another alleyway. It was an odd feeling to be running from a human. In his time, all humans were allies- you’d never need to run from another human. But here in this time, he didn’t know if the guys chasing him were good or bad- he just knew if they got in his way the entire human race was at stake. Shit. _RUN._

He hit a dead end. The lights and sirens were getting closer. Frank didn’t panic, he’d lived his entire life being chased, hiding, keeping his mind clear to survive. He hid in the shadows, waiting for the man pursuing him to catch up. The footsteps got closer and closer… _almost there…_

Frank burst from the darkness the moment the man was in arms reach, wrestling his gun away, and pinned him in place with it once he aimed the weapon straight at this face. The guy looked furious even as he raised his hands in surrender. He was wearing some sort of uniform… he was probably some kind of law enforcement officer… Didn’t matter.

“What day is it?” Frank growled at him. “The date!”

The officer’s eyes were glued to the gun currently pointed at him. “... 12th… May… Thursday…”

_“What year?”_ Frank shouted.

The officer’s face contorted in confusion. Frank grit his teeth in frustration.

“Your communicator- give it to me now.”

Again, the officer seemed dumbfounded.

“Give me your communication device. NOW.”

The officer still gaped at him, but slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a slim rectangular device. Frank snatched it away, the gun never leaving its place aimed between the officer’s eyes.

Frank wanted to question the guy some more, but never got the chance. More bright lights were appearing from every angle- the officer had back up. Frank tore off in the opposite direction. _Shit, shit, shit_. Bright lights, everywhere he ran. There was no where else to go, no more turns. He spun around, needing something, _anything..._

There building blocking his path had a single door. It was chained up, but it was his only option. He ran full force and slammed into the door nearly knocking it off its hinges. A few more kicks and he was in, running blind in the dark. The officers were chasing him. They had flashlights, and the multiple beams bounced around in the darkness, illuminating the way and disorienting him at the same time.

Think. _THINK._

He was in a store. There were stacks and racks and piles of things everywhere. He ducked and crawled and crept in the shadows. The officers lost track of him as Frank scurried from one aisle to another, hiding under tables and behind boxes. He crouched behind some shelves and stilled there a moment to catch his breath. He looked around- finally a stroke of luck. He was surrounded by clothes. Frank grabbed a hooded sweatshirt and some boots as quietly as he could and slipped them on. The boots helped. They made him feel like the soldier he was, they helped him collect his thoughts. As all of the officers were searching for him on the first floor, Frank made his way, silent as a ghost, up the stairs to the second floor, then up to the roof.

Once outside, Frank ducked and rolled. He knelt and risked a peek over the edge of the roof. The store was surrounded, there was no way he’d get out undetected. _Hell._ He scanned the surroundings. The closest building was way farther away than he wished it was, but was a little shorter than the rooftop he was currently on… and it was his only option.

Frank got up and took a few deep breaths. One, Two, _Three-_ he sprinted towards the ledge and launched himself across the alley. He hit the next roof like a brick, rolling a few times before he could stop himself. _Shit,_ that hurt. _Disconnect the pain._ He had to keep moving.

Frank climbed down the building’s fire escape, his muscles burning with every step and stretch. Once he was back on solid ground, he kept himself glued to the shadows. He ran as fast and as far as he could. Away from the flashing lights, and the loud sirens, and the chasers. He sprinted for blocks, until his lungs threatened to explode and his legs were on fire. But slowing down felt impossible. He was already late.

On the brink of collapse, Frank staggered to a halt and leaned back against a dark brick wall, forcing himself to stay upright. If he took a knee right now he might not be able to get back up.

He dragged open eyes that he hadn’t realized he’d closed and they instantly locked on a van. It was large, the windows were blacked out. He could have some privacy in there. A place to think, to come up with a plan. Frank broke in and was slumping low in the driver’s seat within 2 minutes.

He pulled out the communicator he’d stolen from the officer. He’d never held anything like this before. In his time, communicators were rarely used- Skynet controlled nearly the entire internet, using a communicator wasn’t worth the risk of being found. Top members of the Resistance used them only as a last resort. But, he’d studied his history. He knew the basics of how these antique communicators worked.

He also knew from his lessons that people in this time were reckless with how they used the internet. They did everything online, sacrificed all of their personal information, set it adrift into the web with no thought to the consequences… the hubris of it all blew Frank’s mind. But in this particular moment, he was glad for it. He knew all he had to do was somehow connect this device to the internet, look up a specific name… and he’d be able to find whoever he was looking for.

Frank’s blood started pumping faster.

A little troubleshooting got him to the internet and he typed in everything he knew…

Karen Page, New York

His search drew up a lot of results, but luckily, he actually knew what she looked like. He knew her face like he knew his own name. He scanned Karen Page after Karen Page until he finally saw a face he recognized. _The _face. The eyes, the smile, the blonde hair. It was _her._

Frank snapped his eyes shut, annoyed at his own emotional reaction to seeing her. _Enough of that. Do your job._ He focused again on his search, hoping like hell for a clue- any direction at all… THERE.

Karen Page - Journalist at the New York Bulletin… a news paper.

He’d start there.

_I’m coming, Karen._

:::

Karen Page grinned as she hit send on her last email of the day. She just finished up a story she’d been working on for weeks. A corrupt big shot in Hell’s Kitchen who’d been protected for years by paying off the police and other officials had finally made a crucial mistake… and she’d caught him. He was _toast._ She couldn’t wait to hear Ellison’s thoughts on this one.

She closed her laptop and was packing up her bag when her phone dinged. She took a look. It was a text from her roommate Electra.

**YOU’RE DEAD, HONEY!**

_What the hell…_

Electra sent a news article too. Karen took the bait. Tapped her finger to the article and it popped up on her screen.

**Karen Page- killed. Local woman, 37 years old, shot in her home by unknown killer.**

_Oh my God._

Only Electra would think that’s funny. Karen needed to get some new girl friends. She shook her head, grieved in a slightly numbed way for this woman and her family. On top of that, Karen’s skin was crawling from having just read the words_ “Karen Page- killed.”_ It put a chill through her. She didn’t know why- there were probably dozens of Karen Pages in a city this size, but still- it was a surreal thing to read in the news.

She typed back.

**Ha ha- NOT funny. See you at Josie’s- I’m leaving the office soon:)**

Karen finished gathering her things and popped her head in to Ellison’s office.

“I’m out.” She said cheerily.

He didn’t look up from the papers on his desk. “Ok.”

“Have a good night.” She was lingering in his doorway.

“Ok.”

_“See you tomorrow…_” She said, dragging the words out slowly.

Ellison dropped his pen and finally looked up at her, an exasperated expression on his bookish face.

“Yes- I saw your email. No- I haven’t read it yet. Go home.”

Karen grinned at him. Annoying Ellison was one of her favorite aspects of working at the paper.

“Ok, Boss!” She chirped and turned to head out... before popping her head in one last time. “You’re gonna like it!”

“GO.”

Karen laughed.

She was still smiling to herself as she exited the building. She was so glad they were going to Josie’s tonight and not one of those ridiculous clubs that Electra usually chose. Karen wasn’t in the mood for loud bumping music, tequila shots, and dancing. All she wanted tonight was a couple of cold beers at a bar where no one would try to pick her up or buy her a drink. She could buy her own damn drinks and enjoy them _alone._ Well, not entirely alone. Electra was meeting her there, and that would be as much company as she could handle.

The street was oddly quiet for 8:30pm on a New York evening. The click of her heels on the sidewalk was the loudest sound in the atmosphere. Karen felt odd, like she was eerily alone… but at the same time- like she was being watched. Karen drew her arms around herself and tried not to be too obvious as she looked from side to side, over her shoulders.

Her blood ran cold.

There_ was_ someone watching her. Across the street, leaning against the wall, so still she hadn’t noticed him at first. He had his hood up, but she still managed to make eye contact with him. He had the darkest eyes she’d ever seen, staring at her with an intensity that almost stopped her in her tracks. She shivered.

Looking away quickly, Karen picked up her pace. She’d lived in New York long enough to trust her gut. She wasn’t being paranoid. She wasn’t over reacting. That guy was watching her. Thank god Josie’s was so close to the office. Karen reached the end of the block and all but broke into a run, diving into the bar. It was packed with the usual bunch of surly patrons, none of whom looked up from their drinks despite her rather dramatic entrance. The one person who did notice her was the big, tattooed woman behind the bar, Josie herself, who gave Karen a raised eyebrow and a smirk as a greeting. Karen pulse began to slow. It was insane that Karen regarded this dingy dive as a safe place, but honestly, she did. This was _her spot._ The people who frequented this bar were a little rough around the edges, but Josie ran a tight ship. No one fucked around at Josie’s or they’d live to regret it. If that guy followed Karen in here and tried to start trouble, he’d wouldn’t know what hit him.

Karen took a deep breath to compose herself. She made her way to the end of the bar near the tiny outdated TV that everyone ignored as it perpetually ran the news. Before Karen even slid onto her stool Josie slid a beer to her spot. The fact that Josie knew Karen’s order without having to ask soothed Karen’s nerves.

“Thanks, Josie.”

The woman tipped her head in response and went back to drying some pint glasses with a rag so dirty Karen was reminded why she only ordered bottled beer here. 

Karen's gaze kept darting over her shoulder to the door, sure she’d see that guy in the hoodie entering at any minute. Why had he been watching her? _What the hell did he want?_ Karen took a swig of her beer and dug her phone out of her purse with shaking hands.

Should she call the cops? No… that was overkill, right? Maybe she had been imagining the whole thing? This was New York after all, the streets were full of weird intense people who stared into complete stranger’s souls for no reason... Karen sighed. She wasn’t going to call the cops, but she was still on edge. She wanted to go home, but she _definitely_ wasn’t leaving the bar alone. She texted Electra.

**I’m at Josie’s, will you be here soon?**

Karen waited and watched as she got the notification that Electra had read her text. But she got no reply. It was so weird for Electra not to write back immediately. Normally, once she started a conversation with her roommate, her phone dinged like crazy with chit chat to the point that it was a little annoying. Why wasn’t she writing back? Tonight of all nights for her to show some restraint…

Karen shook her head and took another sip of beer. Everything was fine. The guy in the hoodie was nowhere in sight. Electra would show up eventually. They’d have a few beers and Karen would end up laughing at herself for being so damn paranoid for no reason.

_Get a grip, woman._

The door to Josie’s swung open- Karen gasped, nearly spilling her beer all over herself. It wasn’t the guy in the hoodie. It was a man in a fancy suit. He looked like a real Wall Street douche. She rolled her eyes, annoyed at him for walking in here and startling her like that.

This guy was at the wrong bar. Karen watched him a moment longer, he was tall, well built, with impeccably styled brown hair and dark eyes. He was handsome in a pretty boy sort of way. Well, he would have been handsome if he didn’t have that ridiculously blank, stoic look on his face. She figured the guy would take one look at the scene here and leave, head downtown to drink fancy drinks with other guys in fancy suits. But he didn’t leave. He walked to the center of the room and stood unnaturally still, his head moving slowly from side to side, seeming to scan every person in the bar. He focused most of his attention on the women…

_God- what a creep._

Karen turned her attention to the TV, blandly listening to the murmuring of the evening news until her throat closed up in shock. There it was- her name in the news- _again._ Karen’s jaw dropped as she absorbed the headline…

**‘“Two ‘Karen Page’ Murders”**

_What the fuck._

Karen leaned forward, straining to hear the newsman over the noise of the bar, listening like her life depended on it.

_“In a baffling series of events, two New York women, both named Karen Page, were murdered, execution-style in their homes. Police are refusing to speculate upon the apparent similarity between these two shooting deaths, and no other connection between the two victims has been established as yet. We’ll have more on this late breaking story as it comes in…”_

The newsman moved on to another story, but Karen was frozen in place. She couldn’t comprehend it. How could that possibly be a coincidence?

And now she felt like someone was following her…

Karen felt sick to her stomach. She got up from her stool and darted to the bathroom. Closing herself inside a stall, she pressed her forehead to the door, hoping that the silence of the bathroom and the cool metal pressed to her face would keep her from throwing up. Karen grabbed her phone again, texting Electra.

**Where are you? Something weird is happening- I’m really scared. Will you be here soon?**

Karen hit send. The moment she did, she heard the faint _cuckoo_ sound of Electra’s phone from right outside the bathroom door... That stupid sound that Electra’s phone made whenever Karen texted her. The bathroom door opened. Someone came inside. Karen backed away from the door of her stall, not making a sound, listening to the heavy footsteps of whoever had just entered the room. Karen’s fingers sped over her phone, again, texting Electra.

**Are you here?**

Immediately, she heard the _cuckoo._ It was directly on the other side of the stall door. Karen’s heart was in her throat. What the hell_ was this?_

Suddenly a hand gripped the top of the door and ripped in right off its hinges. Karen couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She was petrified with fear. There, standing right in front of her was the creepy Wall Street guy. He’d just- _he’d just ripped the bathroom stall apart with his bare hands._

Karen gaped at him, too shocked to even scream. She looked down at his other hand… he had Electra’s phone. Electra’s sparkly pink phone that Karen would recognize anywhere. The screen was cracked- smeared with blood…

Electra-

That snapped Karen out of her frozen state. She screamed. The guy in the suit didn’t even flinch, he didn’t react _at all._ He reached for her. Karen screamed again, shoving at his arm, trying to attack any part of him she could reach- but it had no effect on him. It was like fighting against solid metal. He got ahold of her throat, lifting her off her feet, he started to squeeze. Karen choked, kicking and scratching and fighting for her life. Her vision was narrowing… she was going to black out.

BANG.

The man strangling her lurched.

BANG. BANG.

His head snapped back, blood pouring out over his face. He let go. Karen fell to her knees, gulping in air. She looked up to see the man who’d been watching her on the street, his hoodie back from his face, his eyes wild. He ran at her, grabbing her arm in an iron grip and yanking her to her feet. He dragged her out into the bar where everyone was staring at them, obviously having heard the gunshots. Josie pulled her sawed off shotgun from under the bar and leveled it at them, fully enraged.

“What the fuck is going on here?” She bellowed.

Karen was being dragged toward the exit. _No, no, no!_ She could not let this guy pull her away- he’d just shot someone in the head! Karen tried to tear her arm out of his grip, but he wouldn’t let go.

He almost had her to the door, when he looked over his shoulder, then threw her on the floor. She hit hard, the breath almost getting knocked out of her has he dove on top of her, covering her body with his. She started fighting him again, until she was deafened by a hail of gunfire. She cowered under him, this stranger who held her tight. He almost seemed like he was trying to protect her…

Karen peered around his arm and saw the man in the suit. The man she’d just seen get shot in the head _twice._ He was standing tall, seemingly unaffected by the copious bleeding from his head, unloading an automatic rifle over the bar. Indiscriminately. Killing anyone and everyone he saw. There was no emotion on his face at all. Not a flicker of humanity.

“Fuck you!”

It was Josie’s voice screaming. Josie who launched herself at him, firing slug after slug from her shotgun into him. He staggered with each shot, but he just wouldn’t fall. What the hell was he? _How was this possible?_

He turned slowly, apparently unconcerned that he was being torn apart by shrapnel. He aimed, taking his time, and fired at Josie. Her blood sprayed out, painting the walls, bullets ripping straight through to shatter the bottles of booze behind her. She was a goner, but the tough old broad had one shot left. She fired- hit him straight in the head and finally knocked him off his feet.

The man on top of her took that as his cue to get up, but Karen couldn’t move. She didn’t think she had control of her legs anymore. He took her arm again, tugged at her hard. It hurt, but she barely noticed. She was in complete shock. All she could do was stare up at him. Wide eyed. Terrified.

He crouched, cupped her face in his hands. His touch oddly gentle in the middle of all this violence. Black eyes scorched her blue ones.

“Come with me if you want to live.”

It was an order.

She obeyed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He changed gears again and they were speeding away. Karen could hear the sirens fading into the distance, then they were gone. He released his grip on her hair quickly so she could sit up. She did so slowly, staring at him, trying to get a read on him. Psycho or not, he sure seemed to know what he was doing.

Shit. _ SHIT. _

_ What the hell was going on? _

Karen was curled into a ball in the passenger's seat. Plastered to the door. Creating as much space between herself and the guy driving as possible. Why the fuck did she get in the car with him? He was a complete stranger who’d just shot someone in the head! She shuddered. That was _ exactly _ why she’d come with him. Because the guy he’d shot in the head _ didn’t die. _ Didn’t even seem hurt. 

Karen had never known true fear until she’d watched that stoic man in the suit take bullet after bullet, and just keep on coming. She’d never felt such crushing terror. So, she’d run the opposite direction. With a total stranger who was only slightly less terrifying than the nightmare behind her. 

Now she was in a van with him. A big, blacked out murder van that totally looked like it should be owned by a serial killer. He was driving like a maniac; way too fast, on the wrong side of the road, not stopping for red lights. And he wasn’t even watching the road half the time- he kept staring at Karen with those intense black eyes of his. Staring like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Like he wanted something from her. 

_ God- _how had she just let herself climb into a van with him? He could be a psycho! He could be taking her anywhere!

He was doing it again- staring at her. She could feel her skin tingling under his laserlike focus. Karen shrunk in on herself even more, clinging to the door. She couldn’t look at him. She kept her gaze pointed out the window, her mind racing, trying to figure out what the hell she should do.

“Are you injured?” He yelled at her. “Are you shot?”

Karen flinched away. She didn't want to answer him. She wanted to evaporate. 

When she said nothing, he reached out for her. The moment he touched her, Karen's panic exploded. She was screaming and slapping at him. She scrabbled for the door handle, ready to jump out of the moving vehicle no matter how fast he was driving. 

He lurched toward her, barely watching where he was driving. He pried her fingers away from the door handle and pinned her entire body to her seat with his arm, grabbing a fistful of her blouse so she couldn’t escape. 

“Do exactly what I say! Exactly!” He shouted at her, looking back at the road long enough to vault the van up onto the sidewalk to pass some slower vehicles, then jolted them back onto the road. “Don’t move unless I say. Don’t make a sound unless I say. Do you understand?” 

Karen’s breaths were coming out in pants, her chest heaving. 

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND?” He shouted, wrenching his grip on her shirt.

“Yes!” She squeezed her eyes shut and raised her hands in surrender, nodding quickly so he knew she was going to obey. “P-please don’t hurt me…”

He seemed satisfied with that answer. He released his grip on her and put both of his hands back on the steering wheel just in time to cut a hard left turn the wrong way down a one way street. He swerved and veered over the road, barely avoiding oncoming traffic, leaving crashes and wreckage in his wake.

When Karen peeled her eyes open, she found him watching her again. The way he looked at her... it was like he knew her. 

“I’m here to help you.” He said, his voice less harsh. “I’m Castle. Lieutenant Tech Comms DN38416 assigned to protect you. You’ve been targeted for termination.” 

She stared at him like he’d just been speaking a foreign language. This couldn’t be real.

“This is a mistake… I didn’t do anything.” She said, hating that her voice came out in a whimper.

“No, but you will.” He said. Turning off the main street in to an alley. “It’s very important that you live.”

Karen’s mind was whirring, she felt like she was going insane. None of this made any sense!

“This can’t be real.” She whispered, more to herself than to him. Then she turned on him. “How could that man just get up after you- you…”

Castle shook his head. 

“He’s not a man, he’s a machine. A Terminator. Cyberdine Sytems Model 101.”

Karen scoffed, “A machine? Like a robot?”

He shook his head again, zig zagging the van through the alleyway to avoid dumpsters. “Not a robot. Cyborg. Cybernetic organism.”

“No, he was_ bleeding _-”

“Just a sec,” Castle cut her off as red and blue flashing lights appeared out of nowhere. “Get your head down!”

He grasped the hair at the nape of her neck and shoved her down. Karen felt the jolt of impact as Castle smashed the van into the cop car that had managed to catch up with them. He held her down and it took everything inside her not to shiver and try to shake off his touch. She pitched further forward as Castle slammed on the breaks, then hit the gas in reverse and crashed into the pursuing car behind them. He changed gears again and they were speeding away. Karen could hear the sirens fading into the distance, then they were gone. He released his grip on her hair quickly so she could sit up. She did so slowly, staring at him, trying to get a read on him. Psycho or not, he sure seemed to know what he was doing.

He glanced back at her again, now seeming uncomfortable that she was the one doing the staring. After several more minutes of tense, silent driving, he pulled over into a parking lot, turned off the van, and killed the lights. 

“Alright, listen.” He said, breathing heavy. It was reassuring that he seemed at least partially as alarmed by all of this she was.

“The Terminator is an infiltration unit. Part man- part machine. Underneath, it’s a hyper alloy combat chassis, micro processor controlled, fully armored. Very tough. But outside, it’s living human tissue. Flesh, skin, hair, blood- grown for the cyborgs.”

Karen could feel the blood draining from her face_. This guy was crazy _… what the hell was he talking about? 

“Look, Castle- I don’t know what you want from me-”

“Pay attention!” He barked at her, eyes lighting up again. He leaned in close to her, like that would convince her to believe him. She backed away, pressing herself against the door. “The 600 series had rubber skin. We spotted them easy. But these are new, they look human. Sweat. Bad breath. Everything. Very hard to spot. I had to wait 'til he moved on you until I could zero in.”

Enough was enough- this guy is _fucking_ _nuts. _Karen glared at him.

“Look, I am not stupid, you know? They cannot make stuff like that yet.”

Castle’s eyes scanned her face, calculating his next words.

“Not yet,” He said slowly, leaning even closer, his eyes begging her to believe him. “Not for about 40 years.” 

_ Are you kidding me? _

She scoffed. “Are you saying its from the future?”

He shook his head. For the first time, Karen could actually read his expression. He was frustrated.

“One possible future.” He sighed. “From your point of view… I don’t know tech stuff.” 

Karen closed her eyes, pressing herself harder against the door, gathering what little courage she could muster.

“... And you’re from the future too? Is that right?” 

He pinned her with his gaze, seeming relieved that she finally understood. “Right.”

“Right...” She echoed back. 

In a flash she was fumbling with the door handle again, frantic to get out of the car. Away from this insanity. Away from this man who was so clearly wacko even though he genuinely seemed to want to help her.

She barely got her fingers around the handle before he’d launched out of his seat almost on top of her. He pinned her wrist against the window with one hand as the other made a fist in her blouse again.

Karen couldn’t fight him, he was so much stronger than her. She attacked the fist grabbing her blouse and bit down him as hard as she could. His face contorted with pain. She knew she’d broken skin, she could taste his blood in her mouth, but he didn’t even make a sound. Castle ripped his hand away from her mouth and breathed slowly through his nose, clearly trying to control his temper. He held both her wrists captive and stared her down. She froze.

He brought his face close to hers. She had no choice but to look him straight in the eyes. 

“Cyborgs don’t feel pain. I do.” He growled at her. “Don’t do that again.”

The fight inside her died instantly. She wanted to cry. To close her eyes and not open them again until this nightmare was over. 

“Just let me go-”

“_Listen _ and understand!” He bit out. “That Terminator is out there. It can’t be bargained with, it can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop- _ ever- _ until you are dead.” 

There was something about him. The way he was looking at her, like he was pleading with her. Urgent for her to believe him and understand. Like he was grieved to break the news to her.

Karen’s heart stuttered. She’d always trusted her gut… and as insane as it all was- this man truly believed every single word he’d said to her. What was even more nuts, was that her gut was telling her to believe every single word, too. 

If this was true… _ oh god… what the hell was she going to do? _

Karen finally relaxed in his grip, looking at him like she was seeing him for the first time. They were so close. He’d basically launched himself on top of her to stop her from crawling out of the car. He still held both her wrists, their chests pressed against each other with each gasping breath. She felt a wave of awareness sweep over her at his proximity, at the heat of him sinking in to her. 

“Can you stop it?” She whispered. 

Castle closed his eyes. He released her wrists, slowly leaning back into his own seat and scrubbing his hands over his face. He looked exhausted. 

“I don’t know. With these weapons… I don’t know.” He shook his head looking miserable. Apologetic. 

Karen sniffled, trying to hold back tears. That seemed to upset him even more. He grit his teeth. He seemed to want to say something, but nothing came out. They both stared out the windshield, silently lost in their own thoughts. 

After a few quiet minutes, Karen turned and studied him. Castle definitely looked like a soldier. He was all muscle. His arms stretched the sleeves of the hoodie he wore. He didn’t have a shirt on underneath it, and from what she’s seen from the lowered zipper in the front, and felt when he was pressed against her, his chest was defined- hard as a rock. He had short brown hair, a stern brow, those deep, dark eyes. His nose looked like it had been broken a few times, but it suited him. He had a dark 5 o’clock shadow along his sharp jaw and soft, pouty lips. He turned to her, finally noticing her perusal. She was sure she blushed a little, but didn’t care. There were bigger issues going on than her suddenly noticing that he was very attractive. 

Karen broke the silence.

“Castle…” His face seemed to soften when she spoke his name. “Why me? Why does it want _ me?” _

He blinked at her. It almost seemed like he didn’t know where to begin. 

“... There’s a nuclear war. A few years from now.” He looked out the windows, gesturing with his head. “All this- everything- its gone. Just gone.” 

Karen held her breath.

“There were survivors, here- there- nobody even knew who started it… It was the machines, Karen.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Defense network computers. New. Powerful. Hooked into everything- trusted to run in all.” Castle leaned closer. “They say it got smart- a new order of intelligence- and it saw all people as a threat, not just the ones on the other side.”

He shook his head. “It decided our fate in a microsecond. Extermination.” 

His voice was so grave. Karen shivered. 

“Did you see this war?”

“No. I grew up after. In the ruins.” He was staring at her again, eyes haunted. “Starving, hiding from HKs.”

“HKs?” 

“Hunter-Killers. Patrol machines built in automated factories. Most of us were rounded up, put in camps for orderly disposal, branded by laser scanner.”

He pulled up the sleeve on his right arm, revealing a grizzly scar across his forearm that resembled a barcode.

Karen gasped, hardly able to believe what she was seeing. Without thinking she reached out, ran her fingers over his marred skin. Castle tensed, but didn’t pull away, accepting her touch. 

“Some of us were kept alive. To work burning bodies. The disposal units ran night and day.” His breath hitched as she ran her fingers higher on his arm. His eyes followed her hand. “We were _that close_ to going out forever… but there was one man. Who taught us to fight, to storm the camps, to smash those metal motherfuckers into junk. He turned it around.”

Castle laid his hand on top of hers, gripping her fingers. 

“He brought us back from the brink. His name was… Page. Connor Page.” 

His eyes were on fire again, his voice urgent. 

“Your son, Karen. Your unborn son.” 

Karen gulped, never in a million years would she have guessed that this was the direction his story was going. She had so many questions- but didn’t get a moment to ask even one, because suddenly the window near her head shattered. Karen ducked her head between her knees. The van roared to life and Frank peeled out of their parking spot so fast that the tires were smoking. Karen risked a peek out her shattered window and her stomach lurched in horror.

There, shotgun in hand, fancy suit covered in blood, was the Terminator. _ Holy shit… _

“Get down!” Castle ordered, as her side of the van was hit with another shotgun blast. 

She ducked again, but her mind was still whirring with what she’d seen. Castle was right- that thing was _ not _human. And somehow… it had stolen a cop car. Castle was driving as fast as he could, but the cop car seemed to be faster than the van. The Terminator was catching up, riddling their van with gunshots as they sped and swerved in traffic. 

Castle grabbed Karen by the shoulder and yanked her toward his seat. “_DRIVE! _”

Karen dove to grab the wheel, and slid into the driver’s seat as Frank lifted himself out the open window and started firing back at the Terminator even though he only had a handgun. 

She was operating on pure instinct. Karen could barely reach the brakes from how she was situated, but it's not like they could afford to slow down anyway. More cop cars were joining the chase- this was a fucking nightmare. 

After a few more blocks, Castle must have run out of bullets because he slid back inside and took over driving.

The Terminator was gaining on them, driving with his shotgun out the window aimed directly at Karen. Castle slammed on the breaks, skidding to a halt as the Terminator’s car sped ahead of them. It shot forward and smashed straight into a concrete barricade it hadn’t seen because it’d been so intent on Karen, on getting its shot. 

The Terminator’s car crumpled. Castle spun their van in a u-turn, but it was no use. Their way was blocked by at least a dozen police cars, and most of the cops already had their weapons drawn, aimed directly at Castle. He revved the engine, looking like he was fully prepared to plow through every single one of them, but Karen grabbed his arm, begging. 

“No, Castle! No!” 

He whipped his head around to look at her. 

“They’ll kill you.” Her breath hitched. 

He was breathing hard, but he slumped back a little, acknowledging the truth of her words. Karen and Castle stared at at each other as the cops closed in on them, neither knowing what to say. It was a strange, false little moment of peace.

“FREEZE! HANDS IN THE AIR! _ NOW! _” 

Then all the cops were shouting at them at once. Karen was shaking, knowing full well anything she and Castle did wrong could result in them getting shot. Police descended on the van. Dragging them both out and pressing them face down on the ground. Karen’s head was angled toward Castle as he struggled against cops. She wanted to tell him to calm down, he was going to get himself killed. But he was screaming-

“I need to stay with her! I need to protect her! You don’t understand!” 

His eyes were frantic and all she could do was whimper from where she was still pinned to the ground by several officers. 

They had his hands and feet bound, which only served to make him more out of control. “You don’t understand! _ She’s in danger! I NEED TO STAY WITH HER- KAREN!” _

And then his voice choked off and he went limp. One of the officers had stabbed him in the neck with a syringe- must have been some sort of sedative. Karen watched, helpless, tears blurring her vision. 

Castle was hefted onto a stretcher and rolled away by the time they finally picked Karen up off the ground and led her one of the patrol cars. She glanced over her shoulder at the Terminator’s smashed car.

The door was open. No driver inside… 

:::

> Frank stared at the empty room. It had been cleaned up. Everything was back in its right place, the blood that had splattered all over the floors, tables, and walls had been washed away. Back to normal. Except that it wasn’t.
> 
> Frank came here every so often even though entering this room felt suffocating. His knees were shaking, threatening to give way. He leaned back against the wall and let himself slide down to the floor. 
> 
> Here in this very room, exactly a year ago, Frank had lost everything. 
> 
> This was a hospital bay and security center. A room built far below ground, the most fortified place the Resistance had devised. A place meant to keep safe the things they held most precious- their doctors, and their children. Frank’s wife had been a doctor, she’d run this room like a well oiled machine. Smart. Brave. Beautiful. Their children had played right down the hall, the cave-like space where the few children at camp had had a safe place. There weren’t a lot of toys, but the kids always managed to make their own fun. They were sweet. Innocent. Frank’s eyes burned, remembering. His chest felt like it could collapse with the pain.
> 
> _ What the hell had he and Maria been thinking? Bringing children into this fucked up world?_
> 
> Frank groaned, the sound reverberating around the empty room. He held his head in his hands. He should have known there was no such thing as a “safe place” on the entire planet, not even in the heart of the Resistance. 
> 
> The destruction of their hospital last year was the first time the Resistance had come up against the Terminator Model 101. They’d never seen it coming.
> 
> The thing had walked right into their base, looking just as human as the rest of them. They’d let him right in. After all, all humans are allies. The thing had been bleeding… of course they brought him straight to the medical bay. Once he got there, the slaughter began. The Terminator unleashed hell before the Resistance soldiers were able to bring him down. In the end, 10 children and 7 doctors were dead. Frank’s wife and two children were among the casualties. They were gone, and he was left here. Fighting to stay alive when life had lost its meaning. 
> 
> Frank stared across the dimly lit room, almost catatonic, lost in his memories, in his pain. What was he fighting for? _What was left? _
> 
> He was so trapped inside himself, he didn’t hear the footsteps approaching him. Didn’t notice he wasn’t alone until he saw a pair of boots right in front of his face. 
> 
> Frank looked up. _Shit._ It was Connor Page. The sight of him jarred Frank from his daze. 
> 
> “Sir.” Frank blurted out, as he gathered himself up off the floor. 
> 
> Connor Page was his hero.
> 
> Of all the days to finally get a chance to talk to him one-on-one, Connor had to find Frank huddled on the floor, crying. Frank could feel his face growing hot, his ears turning red. He stood to attention. 
> 
> Connor’s stern expression softened just a bit. “Easy, Soldier.” 
> 
> Frank stood at ease. His hands itched to reach up and wipe his eyes, but he kept them clasped in front of him. The stance of a soldier ready to receive orders. 
> 
> “Frank Castle.”
> 
> Frank’s eyes went a little wide with surprise. He couldn’t help himself. _Connor Page_ knew his name. Sure, Frank had been with the Resistance for almost 10 years- since Connor and the beginnings of what would become the Resistance had stormed the disposal camp where Frank had been enslaved, setting him free and giving him hope for the first time in his life. But that didn’t mean he assumed Page knew who he was. Frank had been a kid at the time, 16 years old, wide eyed and terrified. He joined the resistance, slowly working his way up the ranks- but Frank wasn’t invited to the top level meetings of Resistance Commanders, he wasn’t a part of the highly dangerous operations that Page and his elite units pulled off. Hell, he felt he was lucky if he caught a glimpse of Page striding through the tunnels even once a month.
> 
> Even on this miserable day...the knowledge that his hero knew him by name gave Frank a little boost. 
> 
> “Yes, Sir.” 
> 
> Connor’s ice blue eyes held Frank’s for a few moments. Frank felt like he was being x-rayed. 
> 
> “I thought I might find you here.” His face was grim. “I’m sorry about your family. That was a terrible day.” 
> 
> Frank had no idea how to respond. He felt heat sting his eyes again and could only give a twitchy nod in acknowledgement of his Commander’s words. 
> 
> “I’m proud of you, Castle.” 
> 
> Frank’s eyes widened again. _What?_
> 
> Connor reached out, putting his massive hand on Frank’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. 
> 
> “We’ve all suffered. We’ve all lost a lot.” Connor said. “What you lost that day would have taken a lot of guys out. But you’re still here. Still fighting the good fight.” 
> 
> The older man’s voice was so strong and steady. Frank felt a pang of guilt. Connor had no idea that Frank had literally _just_ been questioning it all, wondering what he was even fighting for. But then again, from the way he was staring him down, maybe Connor knew exactly what he’d been thinking. He squeezed Frank’s shoulder again before letting him go. 
> 
> “I hear you’ve got an eagle eye. You’re an ace sniper.” 
> 
> Frank’s jaw almost dropped. How did Page know so much about him? 
> 
> “Yes, Sir.” Frank nodded, then backtracked. “I mean, I’m a pretty good shot. Working hard to get better every day, Sir.” 
> 
> Connor’s tight mouth tipped up into what could have been a smile. 
> 
> “That’s good to hear. I could use a soldier like you on a new team I’m heading up. Stealth reconnaissance, long term infiltration behind enemy lines. I’ll be leading this team’s operations personally. I need a scout sniper.” 
> 
> Frank couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This was everything he’d ever wanted. A chance to be a part of serious, important missions. To fight alongside _Connor Page himself_. Frank was nodding his head before he could even get the words out. 
> 
> “It would be an honor, Sir. I’ve always wanted to…” _Don’t embarrass yourself, idiot!_ “I’m honored. Thank you, Sir.” 
> 
> The two men faced each other. It was strange. Frank looked up to Connor so much- he felt like he was larger than life. But in fact, they were the exact same height.
> 
> Connor kept watching him, seeming to weigh his thoughts in his head. Frank worried for a second that he was going to take back his offer. He watched the moment when something changed in Connor’s eyes. The man had come to a decision. 
> 
> “One more thing, Castle. Let me see your screen.”
> 
> Frank fished out his screen- a small disc that all Resistance Soldier’s kept close at hand. It was file storage. Not hooked up to the Net in anyway- so the Skynet couldn’t access it- but it was a way for soldiers to have information close at hand that they could view on the small circular screen; maps, photos, instructions, that sort of thing. 
> 
> Frank handed it to Connor. Connor took out his own screen tapped the two devices together, sharing something from his screen to Frank’s. When he handed it back, Frank took a long look at the screen, then looked back up at Connor, confused. 
> 
> It was a picture of a woman.
> 
> “Sir?”
> 
> “I need you to memorize that photo, Castle.” Connor’s eyes were as severe as Frank had ever seen them.
> 
> “Yes, Sir… but, who-”
> 
> Connor nodded briskly at Frank, and turned on his heel to leave. Before exiting the medical bay he turned around one more time, pinned Frank to the floor with his gaze. 
> 
> “Memorize it, Frank. Know it by heart. Never lose it. Never forget it.”
> 
> Frank stood to attention, feeling the weight of his Commander’s order. 
> 
> “Yes, Sir.” 
> 
> Page left the room.
> 
> Frank stood there for a long time, trying to sort out the odd feeling he got from the last few minutes with Page._ What was that all about? _
> 
> Frank held his screen and looked down at the photo of the woman. He found… it was one of the nicest things he’d ever seen. He studied it. Memorizing it like he’d been ordered to do. 
> 
> The woman was beautiful. No doubt about that. She was in a simple white t-shirt, sitting near a window, catching the sun. Frank had rarely seen such a nice sunny day. He’d rarely seen such a relaxed smile. The woman was grinning into the camera, looking happy and maybe… a little mischievous. Her long blonde hair flowed in waves over her shoulders and slightly into her face. She looked like an angel Frank had read about in some old books. He focused on her smile, her blue eyes. He found himself smiling back at her, wishing he knew what was on her mind.
> 
> _ Who are you smiling at? _

Frank woke up with a gasp. His head throbbing, he was utterly confused and panicked to find himself in a small enclosed room he didn’t recognize at all. He went to get up but found himself jerked back down. His hands were handcuffed to the table in front of him. _ What the hell was this? _

It all came rushing back to him in a blur. The time travel. The Terminator. Finding Karen. 

KAREN. 

Where was she?

_ “KAREN!” _


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Frank.” She repeated, testing it out. He liked the way she made it sound. She pressed her forehead into his neck, seeking more skin, more warmth. His pulse jumped.
> 
> After a little while, she broke the silence.
> 
> “What’s it like when you go through time?”
> 
> He had to think about it. It felt like it had happened years ago instead of just a few hours earlier. 
> 
> “White light. Pain.” He searched for a better description. “It’s like being born maybe.”

Karen was wrapped in a blanket, still shaking.

Detective Mahoney handed her a bottle of water. He'd been a saint so far. Karen couldn't thank him enough for offering her a little comfort and some much needed quiet. He was kind and understanding, ushering her into his office and settling her on his dingy couch there. He'd shut his door on the crowd of other cops who wanted to barrage her with questions while he went to question Castle.

Now, she was alone in his office with enough privacy to weep. He’d confirmed to her that yes, her friend Electra was dead. Seemingly murdered in the same fashion as the other two Karen Pages that day.

Karen hid her face in her blanket and sobbed. This was so fucked up.

_ God- Electra… I’m so sorry… _

Her head was spinning. She was grappling with everything she’d just seen, everything Castle had told her. She believed him. After seeing that scar on his arm, after seeing the Terminator get up again and again after being shot- how could she not? 

But the police were in her head now too, treating her as a poor victim who’d been kidnapped. No one really listened to her as she insisted Castle wasn’t the bad guy. It had been the… other guy… Karen refused to say the word ‘Terminator’ out loud- she knew it sounded insane. 

Detective Mahoney re-entered the office. He walked quietly and lowered himself down next to her on the small couch. They sat together in silence. Mahoney’s face was stunned, like he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. 

“Is he crazy?” Karen whispered. 

Mahoney only shrugged his shoulders, but the look in his eyes broadcasted- _ big time _. He was diplomatic about it though, and simply said, “That’s what we’re going to find out.” 

Another officer knocked quickly and entered Mahoney’s office, setting up a laptop so Karen could see some video from the interrogation room where they were holding Castle. The video was paused. He looked miserable. Furious. Like he was about to explode. 

“We want to show you something, Karen. To see if what he says here corroborates with what he told you earlier. Is that ok?”

She nodded. The other officer hit play.

Castle was glaring up at the cop questioning him. If looks could kill, that guy would have dropped dead on the spot. 

The cop swaggered up to Castle and plopped himself down on the table, so close that it made Karen uncomfortable.

“So, you’re a soldier. Fighting for _ who? _” The officer asked.

Frank took deep breaths, visibly trying to stay calm. 

“I’m with the 132nd under Perry from 51 to 57.” 

The officer sneered. “That’s the year _ 2057? _”

“That’s right. I was assigned to Stealth Recon and for the last few years I served under Connor Page.”

“And who was the enemy again?”

Frank scowled, like he’d already been asked this question a dozen times. “A computer defense system built for SAC NORAD by Cyberdine Systems.” 

“I see,” the cop intoned sardonically. “And this computer thinks it can win by… killing the mother of its enemy. Killing him, in effect, before he’s even concieved… a sort of retroactive abortion.” 

Frank said nothing, just glared at the officer like he wanted to light the man on fire with his eye contact alone. The cop just smirked.

“Why didn’t they just kill Page in your own time? Why this elaborate scheme with the Terminator?”

Frank squeezed his eyes shut in frustration, wringing his cuffed hands on the table. 

“It had no choice. Their defense grid was smashed- we’d won. Killing Page then would make no difference. _ Skynet had to wipe out his entire existence.” _

The cop nodded along condescendingly. Karen hated that the detective was toying with Castle like this, pissing him off. He didn’t deserve that. She bit her nails and kept watching. 

The detective picked up his notepad and flipped through the pages. 

“Is that when you captured the lab complex and found the… ah… what is it called,” he stabbed the right place in his notes with two fingers, “time displacement equipment?” 

“That’s right.” Frank said, like he was trying to explain this to a child. “The Terminator had already gone through. Connor sent me to intercept and they blew the whole place.”

The officer quirked his head. “Well… how are you supposed to get back?” 

Castle sighed and hung his head. 

“I can’t. Nobody goes home. Nobody else comes through.” He lifted his eyes to the officer again, growling. “It’s just him- and me.”

Karen’s heart thumped. _ God… _ She took a sip of her water, suddenly woozy. Mahoney and the other officer were riveted to the screen. 

The interrogator continued.

“Why didn’t you bring any weapons? Something more advanced. Don’t you have… rayguns?”

Frank rolled his eyes. 

“You go naked. Something about the field generated by a living organism- _ nothing dead will go.” _

“Why?”

“I didn’t build the fucking thing!” 

The cop pressed on. “But this cyborg… if its _ metal-” _

“Surrounded by _ living tissue!” _ Castle shouted, finally losing his temper. “ _ Look- _ you have heard _ enough _. I’ve answered your questions- now I have to see Karen Page!” 

Karen gasped. Mahoney glanced at her from the side of his eye. 

On the screen Castle was struggling against his cuffs.

“Why am I talking to you? _ Who is in authority here?” _

“Ok, now wait a-” 

“SHUT UP!” Castle roared. The cop fell silent immediately and Castle looked directly into the camera filming him. Karen felt like he was staring right at her. 

“You still don’t get it, do you? He’ll find her- that’s what he does! _ That’s all he does!” _ Frank was standing now, trying to rip the chains from the table. He was completely losing it. “You can’t stop him! He’ll wade through you, reach down her throat and pull her _ fucking heart out! Let me go! KAREN!" _

“Hey!” Mahoney barked, and the other officer quickly slammed the laptop shut so Karen couldn’t hear any more. Mahoney was glaring at the guy, clearly irritated that he hadn’t stopped the video sooner. 

Both men turned to her. She had no idea what to think. 

“So… he’s crazy, huh?” She said, softly.

Mahoney sighed. “In technical terminology… he’s a loon.” 

His attempt at humor did nothing for Karen. She knew what she’d seen. 

“Look, this is going to take a while. Why don’t you lie down, see if you can take a nap.” Mahoney offered. 

Karen shook her head, “I couldn’t sleep right now.”

“Try.” He stood and gave her a sympathetic smile. “It may not look it, but that couch is very comfy, and you’re perfectly safe.”

Karen thanked him as he headed for the door and shut it behind him. She stared at the ceiling, her mind whirring.  


… Some time later Karen was jolted awake by the sound of a loud crash. She hadn’t thought she’d be able to sleep, but she must have dozed off. More loud noises ripped into the air. She jerked again and gasped. Those sounds- they were bursts of gunfire. 

_ He’s here… _

She knew it was him. The Terminator had found her. Karen flew up off the couch, her heart fluttering inside her like it wanted to flee her body. She paced Mahoney’s office with no idea what to do- should she hide in here? Should she try to run? The gunshots getting closer and closer. People were screaming. The fire alarms went on, the lights went out. _Oh God_\- this was it. He was going to find her for sure. Karen hid under Mahoney’s desk, shaking in the dark. Praying for something… anything… 

“Karen!” 

She knew that voice- how had Castle gotten free? It didn’t fucking matter. She scrambled out from underneath the desk.

“Karen!” He shouted again, his voice guttural, frantic. He burst through the office door.

“Castle!” She screamed and flung herself into his arms. 

He grabbed her and held her tight, his hands ran over her, quickly confirming that she was alive and well. His eyes were wild again, she knew he was in soldier-mode. He took her hand and they ducked as they ran. They didn’t know how to get out of the station. They searched frantically, all the while on the lookout for the Terminator. They didn’t see him anywhere- but knew he was close. Not knowing exactly where he was, was more frightening than anything. 

The first exit they found was blocked by fire. Frank kept his tight grip on her hand and led her in another direction. They searched for escape, crawling over bodies. Castle was grabbing guns and ammunition off the bodies as they went, Karen started doing the same. Finally, they found a back door and burst out. Castle didn’t fuck around- he took the shotgun he’d just acquired and slammed the butt into the driver’s side window of the first car they saw. 

They were in and he had the car hot-wired in minutes. Castle peeled out of the parking lot and into the street, driving just as wildly as he had the first time he'd gotten Karen into one of his escape vehicles. But this time- she trusted him. Karen stared out the rear window at the police precinct engulfed in flames. She was panting and looking back- waiting for the chase to start- certain the Terminator would burst out of the darkness and gun them down at any second. But it never appeared. They'd gotten away. Karen almost moaned with relief. After about 15 minutes she stopped staring out the back window and faced forward. 

Castle was still breathing hard. His face furious. 

He’d saved her._ Again. _What could she even say? 

“A-Are you ok?” 

Her question seemed to startle him. His face softened as he looked at her.

“I’m fine, Karen. I’m fine.”   


:::  


They drove for a long time in silence. From the look of it, they had enough fuel to keep going for a few hours- and Frank didn’t want to stop until they absolutely had to. 

The car they’d stolen was an old model even for Karen’s time, which made it really easy to hotwire. It was big, and comfortable with a bench seat in the front. Frank actually liked it. But with the broken window,the ride was very cold. Frank looked over at Karen. Her arms were wrapped around herself and her teeth were chattering. She was only covered in a thin blouse and it was all tattered and torn now. She must have been freezing. _ Shit- _ he should have noticed before. 

“Are you cold?” 

She was visibly shaking, she couldn’t deny it if she’d wanted to. “Freezing.”

Frank glanced at her again and lifted his arm, beckoning her closer. He felt a little flip in his belly when she didn’t resist at all. She slid across the bench seat and tucked herself under his arm, pressing as much of her frigid body against him as she could. Frank ran his hand up and down her arm, trying not to be distracted by the sudden closeness, the softness of the woman next to him. How did she manage to smell so sweet after the night they’d had? 

She was still shivering when she looked up at him. 

“Castle. You got a first name?” 

Frank kept his eyes on the road. She was so close. If he turned toward her they’d literally be nose to nose. 

“Frank.” 

“Frank.” She repeated, testing it out. He liked the way she made it sound. She pressed her forehead into his neck, seeking more skin, more warmth. His pulse jumped.

After a little while, she broke the silence.

“What’s it like when you go through time?”

He had to think about it. It felt like it had happened years ago instead of just a few hours earlier. 

“White light. Pain.” He searched for a better description. “It’s like being born maybe.” 

She nodded against his neck. Her shivering was slowing down. Frank had a feeling it was no longer from being cold, she was shaking from the day. From the shock of it all. He adjusted his grip to hold her even tighter. 

“Talk to me some more…” She mumbled into his hoodie. 

Frank stiffened in surprise. He wasn’t much of a talker. 

“About what?”

“Tell me about where you’re from.”

“Alright.” He nodded. This he could do. “You stay down by day, but nights you can move around. You still have to be careful because the HKs use infrared.” 

He could feel her melting into him. 

“But they’re not too bright. Connor taught us ways to best them. That’s when the infiltrators started to appear… the Terminators were the newest.” 

Frank paused, not sure how much more he should say- he didn’t want to scare her any more than she already was. But, it turned out he didn’t need to say anything else. She was asleep. Breathing deep, face pressed into his neck, one hand unconsciously making a fist along the zipper of his hoodie. 

Frank felt his chest tightening. He couldn't believe he was this close to _Karen Page._ That her head was on his shoulder. He fought against the surge of emotion that welled up inside him. _ Stop. _ His mission was to protect her- not allow his feelings to distract him. Frank glared at the road. Trying to focus up, to come up with a plan, a strategy, a next step. But he had nothing. He didn’t even know where the hell he was. The only plan was to hide and stay alive. 

He drove. 

When his tank looked like it was just about running on empty, Frank spotted a roadside motel and decided that spot was as good as any to stop for the night. He drove a few miles past it and pulled the car over in the middle of nowhere. Karen was not too pleased to be woken up unexpectedly and asked to help him push the car off the road and down into a steep ravine. She was even less pleased to be asked to walk 3 miles in the dark back to the motel. 

Frank had shoved as many of their stolen weapons as he could into a duffle bag he’d found in the car’s trunk. He shouldered it, and they took off. It took them a long time to get back to the motel. Frank was frustrated with how slow Karen walked, but she complained that she was in heels and just “couldn’t fucking go any faster.” When they finally got to the motel they were both a little worse for wear. 

Frank dug around in his pocket and pulled out a fistful of the paper money that they apparently used in this time. He lifted the crumpled wad of cash up into Karen’s face. 

“Is this enough?”

Karen’s eyes went wide and she shoved his hand down, looking over her shoulder to see if anyone had seen them. 

“Jesus- yes. I’m not even going to ask where you got all that.”

Frank just stared at her. 

She rolled her eyes at him. “Stay here- I’ll get the room.” 

“Get a room with a kitchen.”

She nodded and disappeared inside the building while Frank crouched and pet the old dog that was lazily “guarding” the door. 

In about 10 minutes Karen was leading them across the dimly lit parking lot. Once they were inside their room, Frank locked the door, did a sweep of the space, and one last scan out the windows. 

They were safe. At least for now. 

When he turned back from the windows, he found Karen watching at him, her blue eyes wide. She was staring at his left arm. He’d almost forgot that when he’d freed himself from that interrogation room he’d gotten shot. _ Goddammit. _

“Oh my God.” She choked out, like she’d never seen blood before.

He tried to shrug it off. “I caught one back there.” 

Karen’s eyebrows shot to the sky.

“You mean- you got shot?” 

“It's not bad.”

She rushed toward him, hands hovering a few inches away from him, not sure if she should touch or not.

“We- we gotta get you to a doctor!”

“Its ok- forget it.” Her concern was novel, almost cute- but he didn’t want her to make a big fuss about it. He could handle it. 

“What do you mean- _ forget it? _ Are you crazy?” 

Frank was fighting not to roll his eyes. 

“Take that off.” She gestured to his hoodie. 

Deciding it wasn’t worth the fight, and tending to his wound was probably going to make her calm down, Frank did as he was told. He unzipped his hoodie and took it off, carefully peeling the fabric away from the spots where blood had soaked through and then dried, sticking to him irritatingly. He watched Karen scurry around the room. She wet a towel and grabbed some soap, then searching the drawers in the small kitchen, she found a knife. She headed straight toward the bed. She pulled off one of the pillowcases and started slicing it into strips. 

_ She was resourceful. Good. _He’d known she would be…

When she finally had everything she thought she needed, she turned back to him and stilled. Maybe she’d forgotten she told him to take his shirt off. Frank watched her take him in, feeling a little awkward. She was staring. He knew he was covered in scars, but where he’s from- everyone is. Karen had probably never seen anything like it before. He was starting to think he was making her uncomfortable and almost reached for his hoodie again, when he noticed the way her eyes lingered on him, noticed the pink blooming on her cheeks. Absolutely refusing to register the heat starting to gather in his own face, Frank cleared his throat. 

The sound snapped Karen back into her overly concerned hen-pecking. She gestured toward the kitchen counter, tapping it with her finger tips. They watched each other as he approached, as he slid himself up to sit on the countertop. Karen looked at him with those wide doe eyes, then down at the wound. She hesitantly pressed the wet soapy towel to it. He winced at the sting.

Karen’s face was ashen, she’d definitely never seen a gunshot wound up close before. 

“Jesus…” She grimaced. 

Frank took a quick look. “Passed right through the meat.” 

“This is going to make me puke…” She murmured, busying her hands with more towels and soap. She was jittery and frazzled. Frank tried not to laugh at her- she was the one insisting on doing this after all.

“Will you just talk to me about something?” She asked, her voice all tight and strained.

“... What?” 

“I don’t know, anything- just talk.” She cringed, continuing her work. “Tell me about my son.”

Frank nodded, then hissed through his teeth as she pressed way too hard on the tender skin. She froze and peeked up at him, her big blue eyes yelping her apology. Those eyes. Ice blue. 

“He has your eyes.”

Karen held his gaze for a moment, before looking away quickly, affected by that. 

“What’s he like?” 

“We trust him. He’s got a strength. I’d die for Connor Page.”

Karen’s eyes met his again, shocked. Her mouth tipped in a smile, but the little laugh that burst out wasn’t happy. She sounded a flustered. Overwhelmed. 

“At least now I know what to name him.” 

Frank closed his eyes, unsure if he should have told her that or not. He wasn’t sure of the rules of all of this time travel stuff… everything was just happening so quickly. 

“I don’t suppose you know who the father is? So I don’t tell him to get lost when I meet him?” She chirped out that same flustered little laugh. 

Frank’s stomach twisted. He didn’t know if they should even be talking about this- but what the hell else could he do? 

“Connor never said much about him. I know he dies before the war-” 

Karen gasped. 

“Wait-" Her hand flew up. This time she wouldn't look up at him, she kept her eyes focused on her task. "I don’t want to know.” 

She started stretching out the strips of pillowcase she’d cut, moving to stand between his legs as he sat perched slightly above her on the counter. She began wrapping the strips around his bicep. Frank’s stomach tightened. Karen was very close. 

“So, was it Connor that sent you here.”

“I volunteered.” 

That got her attention. Her eyes flashed back up to his. Frank’s heart sped up, hoping she couldn’t see right through him, see the truth.

_ “Why?” _ She breathed. 

Frank froze. He couldn't answer that. Time travel tules or not- he knew he couldn't answer that. But she was staring up at him, practically begging him to talk to her. Frank figured telling her a half truth was the most responsible thing he could do at the moment. 

“It was a chance to meet the legend." He said, staring at her because he couldn't help it. "Karen Page. Taught her son to fight. Organize. Prepared him from when he was a kid, when you were in hiding before the war.”

Karen kept wrapping his arm as she listened, her expression growing more and more upset. Her eyes were getting watery. Frank wasn’t sure what he could do to make it better. 

“You’re talking about things I haven’t done yet in the past tense.” She said tying off the bandages on his arm. “it's driving me crazy.” 

She yanked on the bandage too hard. Frank winced again. She looked up at him, this time more exasperated than apologetic. 

“Are you _ sure _ you have the right person?”

Frank’s heart thumped. _ Karen… _

“I’m sure.”

“Come on," She sighed, tying of the last bandage and running her hands through her hair. “Do I look like the mother of the future? Am I tough? Organized? I can’t even balance my checkbook!”

She took a few steps away from him, pulling her hands from her hair, leaving it a tousled mess, and crossing her arms to glare at him where he sat. 

“Look, Frank. I didn’t ask for this_ honor, _ and I don’t want it- _ any of it. _” A few tears escaped down her cheek and Frank’s chest tightened. She was scared. She had every reason to be. Frank felt for her. He wanted to help… 

“Your son gave me a message to give to you. Made me memorize it.” 

Karen’s breath caught.

Frank recited by heart.

“Thank you, Karen, for your courage through the dark years. I can’t help you with what you must soon face, except to say that the future is not set. You must be stronger than you imagine you can be. You must survive or I will never exist.”

She stared at him, waiting. 

“... That’s all.”

Karen uncrossed her arms and brought her hands to her hips, shoulders slumping. She looked defeated. Frank didn’t know what else he could do for her. He bent and flexed his arm, testing the bandages. They held true. 

“That’s a good field dressing.” 

Karen looked up at him and cracked a sad smile. 

“You like it?” She shrugged. “Its my first.” 

After he’d slid off the counter and started organizing their weapons, Karen stood in the kitchen for a long time for a long time, staring off at nothing. Frank wished he knew what she was thinking. He walked toward her slowly, not wanting to spook her, but when he put his hand on her arm she startled a little bit anyway. 

“We should get some sleep. It’ll be light soon.”

She nodded vaguely and walked, zombie like, to the bed. She didn’t have anything to change into, so she just crawled under the covers in her tattered, dusty clothes. Frank turned off all the lights and wadded up his hoodie, ready to use it as a pillow and sleep on the floor. 

“Frank?” Her voice was small and shaky. “Will you sleep here? Closer?”

Frank felt a prickle down the back of his neck, but he hmmm’d a yes and slid under the covers. He got right up close, knowing she needed some contact, some support. It wasn’t all that strange. It was common for soldiers in the field to huddle together for warmth when they sleep. And in his time- _ everyone _ was a soldier- men and women alike. Sharing body heat with a woman was standard procedure. What _ wasn’t _standard procedure, was for the woman to turn around to face him the moment he touched her and tuck her head under his chin. To wrap her arms around him like she was worried he might disappear. There was nothing standard about that. Frank knew she was upset and alone, she was scared and confused. He tried not to allow his feelings to run out of control. Tried not to let his body react to this beautiful woman clinging to him in the dark. This woman who had haunted his dreams in waking and sleeping, for years… 

_ Enough. _He gave himself an order. He was a soldier on a mission. This was just part of protecting her, of keeping her safe. Frank slowly lowered his arm around her, returning her embrace. 

They held each other in silence. He kept waiting for her breathing to even out, for her hold on him to relax, but she couldn’t sleep. She was sniffling, silently crying against his chest. He hated it. 

“Frank?”

“Mmm.”

“I- I heard you at the police station.” She sniffed. “You can’t go home. You left your whole life for me.” 

The way she said it made him feel vulnerable, exposed. But it was true.

“That’s right.” 

“Did you leave anyone behind? Did you have a family? Or…” 

She trailed off. Frank knew what she was asking. 

“No.” He whispered into her hair. “I had a family… years ago. A wife and two children. But they’re gone- taken out by Terminators.”

He felt her jolt against him, a sob racked her body. She lifted her head so she could look him in the eyes. 

_ “What?” _ She gasped, openly crying. “Oh Frank… I’m _ so sorry.” _

Karen laid a hand on his cheek as tears streamed down her face. Her ice blue eyes were filled with grief. Frank stared at her. She still looked like an angel to him, beautiful and sad, weeping for his family in a way that he hadn’t been able to weep in years. He felt the weight and warmth of her compassion down to his bones. She was all heart. 

“I’m sorry too.”

Frank leaned into her hand, as her thumb stroked his cheek. He felt like he was sinking under some spell, like her proximity was a drug. Karen’s eyes traveled over his face, searching. They landed on his mouth and Frank felt a shiver up his spine. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her more than he’d wanted anything in a long, long time. He leaned in. _What are you doing?_ Warning bells instantly went off in his mind. Frank quickly redirected, pressing his forehead to hers. Karen accepted it, pressed closer too. They laid there, touching, resonating with each other in the silence of the night. 

The connection between them burned, and soothed, and eventually rocked them to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank had a tendency to stare at her. She noticed it from the very first time they’d met. His eyes never left her for too long. He watched her, searched her- like he knew her. He never seemed embarrassed to be caught staring. Maybe people from his time had different standards of personal boundaries, or maybe this was just a quirk of Frank Castle. Either way, he held her eyes now. His deep brown eyes taking her in, like he saw to the center of who she was. At first, it had made her a little uncomfortable, but now… now it was hard to explain how she felt when he looked at her. It felt good, heated, like she didn’t want him to stop until he burned her up entirely.

Frank woke with the light. 

He squinted. It was so bright he could barely open his eyes. He’d lived most of his life in darkness or underground. This daylight, it was like something out of a dream. The waking-dream feeling heightened when he looked down to find himself holding Karen Page.

_ Karen Page. _His heart thudded. 

Frank was on his back, his arms wrapped around the woman whose head rested on his shoulder. Her arm was draped across his bare chest. It was surreal, holding her like this. This woman who would one day become the mother of the savior of mankind. This woman whose face he knew so well that it was engraved on his soul, seared into the essence of who he was. 

For years, Frank had no idea why Connor had given him that picture, asked him to memorize it, but never spoke about it to him again. He didn’t think Connor could have predicted how attached Frank would become. How he’d stare at it, study it, wonder again and again what put that lovely smile on her face. How the woman in the photo would come to fill his dreams, how he’d come to care for her, devote himself to her, even though he had no idea who she was- no idea if she was even real. 

That day- his last day in his own time- the Resistance had been cautiously celebrating. They’d destroyed Skynet’s defense grid, they’d_ won _ . It was only a matter of time now before they’d rid the planet of the plague of the machines. But Connor had gathered their close team, somber and severe as ever, and broke the dire news.

The machines had sent a Terminator back in time to kill his mother so he could never be born- he needed a volunteer to follow the Terminator, to intercept. To save his mother. Connor brought up her picture on his screen. _ The picture. _Frank volunteered instantly, it was a gut response, he hadn’t thought twice. Connor watched him in that moment, his piercing blue eyes x-raying him like they always did. Frank wondered if he knew… if he guessed that Frank had somehow allowed himself to fall in love with this woman, this figment, somewhere along the way… 

Frank was pulled out of his memories, snapped back to the present, when Karen moved against him. She clung closer and nuzzling against his shoulder. Frank angled his head so he could see her face. Damn, she was so beautiful. All softness and light. Her brow was slightly furrowed in her sleep. He wanted to smooth it out with his thumb. He also wanted to touch her lips, they were so pretty, so pink. More than anything, he wanted to run his fingers through her hair. It was so pale and shiny. Most women in his time kept their hair as short as the men, Frank had never seen long hair like this. There was miles of it. He couldn’t resist. Slowly, lightly, he ran his knuckles over Karen’s cheek and then let his fingers comb her hair back from her face. _ Amazing. _It was like silk. 

Karen startled awake.

Frank pulled his hand back as quick as he could, but he knew she’d caught him touching her. He was embarrassed, glancing at her warily, checking to see if she was mad. But she wasn’t. She blinked, sleepily and eventually shot him a small smile. 

“Morning.” She whispered. 

Her voice, her smile… Frank felt everything inside him rushing around. He needed some space. He was about to do something stupid. He all but jerked away from her and rolled out of bed, walking immediately to the little kitchen to get himself a glass of water. 

Karen was startled by his abrupt behavior, but she didn’t say anything. She sat up in the bed and watched Frank pace around the kitchen. He was trying to work off some of his nervous energy, but her staring just amplified it. 

Eventually, she broke the silence.

“Frank… what do we do now?”

_ God- he wished he knew the right answer to that... _

“We lay low. We hide.”

Karen nodded. It wasn’t much of an answer, but it was all he had. 

She stood and stretched. Frank tried not to stare. She turned to face him.

“Ok, so it looks like we’ll need to go shopping.”

_ … what? _

He just stared at her, confused. 

“What?” She asked, like he was being obtuse. “We both need new clothes. We definitely need food. We walked passed a strip mall last night, it was less than a mile from here. Lets-”

“No.” They weren’t leaving this room until he had a plan. A_ real _ plan. 

Karen’s eyebrows shot up, she brought her hands to her hips. “No?”

“We can’t be seen, Karen.”

Karen rolled her eyes at him. 

“Frank- he didn’t follow us here. There’s no way he knows where we are. When we eventually have to run, we'll need to have clothes that help us blend in. We_ do not _ blend in right now.” She gestured between them noting Frank’s blood stained clothes and her own tattered outfit. “Plus- I’m _ starving.” _

She cringed, suddenly looking sorry. Frank knew why. She wasn’t starving. Frank knew what it was to starve… she felt guilty. He didn’t hold it against her. Besides, she was right on all counts. They needed clothes and supplies. 

“Ok. We’ll go.” He nodded at her slowly, “But we’re gonna do this smart.”

The strip mall - as Karen had called it- was less than a mile away, like she’d said, but it was slow going. Karen would have preferred to walk on the road, but Frank insisted they trek through the woods, far enough from the road that the passing cars couldn’t see them through the trees. 

Karen’s shoes were giving her the same problems she’d had last night. They made her slow and unsteady. She definitely needed new ones. The walk through the woods was tedious for her, but… it gave Frank so many moments to hold her hand, to steady her, so many excuses to stay close. He found he didn’t mind how long it was taking.

Once they reached the strip mall, Frank was on high alert. He held her hand like an iron vice, scanning the surroundings for something, anything that might signal they’d been found. There were only a few cars in the parking lot. This wasn’t a busy place. That made Frank feel better. Karen pointed to a store and Frank ushered her inside, his eyes darting everywhere, not wanting to miss anything. 

“Ok. Men’s stuff is that way. I’ll meet you in a few minutes.” She pointed to the right and made to walk off to the left. But she was yanked back as he refused to let go of her hand. She looked at him, confused. 

“I’m staying with you.” This wasn’t a joke. He wasn’t letting her out of his sight. 

Karen’s face softened, she stepped up close so no one else would be able to hear her. She rested her hand lightly on his bicep, on top of the bandages she’d wrapped there last night. 

“We’re safe right now, ok? It’ll go faster if we separate. And-” she fidgeted a bit, “I need to buy some… _ personal _ stuff.” 

He hesitated. _ Why was it so hard to say no to this woman? What was wrong with him? _

“Look, I’ll be right over there. You go get yourself whatever you need- I’ll come find you in 10 minutes. I promise.” 

The look on her face was so sweet. She was coaxing him- it was… cute. He could feel his resolve crumbling. He wanted to make her smile. He rolled his eyes at himself and pinned her with his most serious glare. 

“10 minutes.”

She grinned. “Yes, Sir.”

Frank watched her bounce over to the section of the store with all of the women’s supplies, shaking his head. She knew what they were up against. How did she manage that smile? That good mood? She was a strong woman. 

He turned towards the men’s supplies. There was _ so much. _He walked slowly through the aisles, taking it all in. People in this time… they had so many options to choose from. Were all these racks filled with shirts? Just shirts? He was fascinated. A lot of them were the same, but then a lot of them were different colors and had various symbols on them. Frank studied them all, feeling like this was ridiculous, while at the same time wanting to laugh because all this abundance was just... awesome. 

Frank was inspecting all the different types of shoes when Karen found him. He turned to take her in, and tried not to sigh at the sight of her. So pretty. 

She was in tight, denim pants and shoes that looked much better suited to running than her last ones. She wore a tank top that clung to her, everywhere. It made his hands itch. 

“Look what I found!”

She set down the basket full of the other items she’d selected and shrugged into a black leather jacket that had zippers all over it. She spun around quickly, giving him the full view.

“What do you think?”

Frank had no idea what she wanted him to say. “Good. It looks durable. Warm.” 

Karen chuckled, like he’d just told a joke. “Thank you, Sir.” 

Her eyes were glittering. Frank was starting to get the feeling that she was calling him ‘Sir’ to tease him. No one ever teased him. It felt… nice. 

“So, what did you find?” She asked, noting his nearly empty hands. 

Frank held up the one item he’d grabbed. A black hoodie. Identical to the blood stained one he currently wore. 

She laughed again. “That’s it? Come on, Castle. We can do better than that.” 

She took his hand and led him back to the clothing section. When she got to the racks of pants she rounded on him. 

“Do you know what size you are?”

He shook his head. Where he’s from, you took whatever clothes you could get, then altered them to fit yourself. 

Karen took a scan of him from head to toe and then back up again. She focused on his hips for so long that Frank shifted uncomfortably. Karen turned back to the rack and selected a couple pairs of black pants with many pockets. They actually reminded him of what he normally wore at home, and he appreciated her finding them for him. She draped them over his arm and kept moving. Frank followed after her like a puppy; curious, smitten, as she draped more and more items over his arm. 

She was looking over some shirts now. She grabbed one and held it up for him. 

“How about this one?”

The shirt was wildly colorful, with giant pink birds on it, neon green leaves, and big blue splashes of what looked to be ocean waves. He’d never seen something so bizarre. The pattern was so bold- maybe it was meant to be some sort of camouflage? But it would never blend in to this terrain…

“No.”

Karen laughed again, like he’d said something funny. _ Oh- _she was teasing him again. 

“Ooo- maybe this?”

She grabbed a big odd looking, wide brimmed hat and placed it on her head. She puckered her lips at him and gave him a wink. 

A little laugh burst out of him before he could stop it. She was ridiculous. Funny. She grinned back at him. 

“Alright- we need to get going.” He said, his skin tingling. 

But Karen just waved him down.

“Not until you go put these on. Go.” 

She pointed at a little booth nearby where he was apparently supposed put on these new clothes. She shoved a pair of socks into his hand. 

“I’ll stay right here. _ Go.” _

Frank went into the stall and changed rapidly, hating that Karen was out of his eyesight for even a few minutes. The only time he paused was when he put on the socks. _ God. _ They were incredible- his feet had never felt so good. 

Frank and Karen paid for everything including the clothes on their backs, and shoved the rest into the backpacks they’d bought. Frank was eager to leave, but Karen dragged him into the very next store to purchase what she called “burner phones”. He almost put his foot down right there, but she assured him that this was a simple device. It could communicate, but had no direct connection to her name, and since they paid in cash- it couldn’t even be connected to her bank account. Eventually, after much quiet bickering that seemed to make the store clerk very uncomfortable, Frank relented. She was probably right about this too. In case of a nightmare where they somehow got separated, Frank wanted her to be able to contact him. 

After that, she spotted a cafe and Frank didn’t have the heart to fight her on this as well. He’d heard of these- restaurants- and he’d always wanted to see one. In his time, food was regulated. You either stood in line and received your allotted amount of whatever was available, or you starved. Frank had always been fascinated with the idea of a restaurant from the old days, when you could buy as much as you wanted. If you had enough money- the food would just keep coming. The idea was enthralling. 

Being surrounded by so many people had him on edge, but they sat so his back was to the wall and he could keep his eyes on everything and every one. It helped. He had no idea what to order, so Karen ordered for both of them. 

First, their drinks arrived. She’d ordered him a coffee and herself a soda. She pushed her drink toward him, wanting him to try it. Frank quirked his eyebrow at the way her drink bubbled, but he put his lips to the straw. _ Damn. _ He winced at the blast of sweetness, at the sting of the bubbles down his throat. The drink was interesting… but not something he wanted to try again. He pushed the glass back across the table as she giggled at him, teasing. _ Again. _Frank smiled and tried not to stare too intensely as her lips wrapped around the straw. Right where his lips had just been. 

He distracted himself by taking a sip of his own coffee. _ Sweet Jesus. _ That was more like it. They had coffee in his time, but it was nothing- _ nothing _ like this. He closed his eyes and nodded to himself. 

“That is some good shit.” 

Karen’s grin grew. 

Their food arrived. She’d ordered them both burgers and fries. The stuff of legends. Frank tried not to feel awkward under Karen’s eyes as she anxiously awaited his reaction to every new bite. The burger was so good, he actually groaned. He wasn’t even embarrassed. It was the best thing he’d ever tasted in his life. And the fries… _ shit. _ He’d never recover. 

Karen was clearly delighted that he liked it. She dug into her own food, her eyes sparkling. 

“It’s incredible to see what you have here.” He said, dipping his fries into some ketchup like she’d shown him. “There’s so much. So many options. Where I’m from, there’s just nothing _ extra _. Nothing just for the sake of it.” 

Karen mulled that over. 

“So you don’t have _ anything _ just for fun? You don’t play games? Have pets?”

_ Games. _ Frank thought… _ what an idea… _

“We have dogs. They’re good at detecting Terminators. I had one once.”

Karen’s eyebrows raised. 

“I liked him.” Frank said. “He was kind of like a pet.” 

Once they’d finished their meal, Frank having completely cleared his own plate and about half of Karen’s, they headed out. 

Frank was somewhat annoyed to find that in this whole string of stores, there was no place to purchase weapons. How was that even possible? But his gaze landed on a hardware store and Frank figured there was probably something he could make use of in there. He was right. A few minutes up and down these aisles and he had several bags of oddities that he could do all sorts of good shit with. He was starting to feel hope. Maybe he and Karen could pull this off somehow.   


::  


Their trip through the woods went way quicker on the way back due to Karen’s new shoes, and she couldn’t have been happier. 

When they reached the motel and Frank locked the door behind them, she could visibly see his relief. He relaxed remarkably and even quirked his mouth up in a half-smile in her direction. He’d been in what she could definitely consider a much better mood since they’d eaten. She smiled to herself. Her mom had always told her, _ ‘The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.’ _ Well, she definitely didn’t know if she was anywhere close to getting to his heart… but putting some good food in him definitely helped her get past his grumpy-soldier-mode. 

Karen took her time unpacking their bags as she watched him stride across the kitchen setting up some sort of work station with the random items he’d grabbed at the hardware store. What on earth was he doing? He was so focused, his eyes taking stock of everything he’d spread out on the counter, muttering to himself under his breath. His intensity was… an attraction. Karen felt a little wave ripple through her. She couldn’t help it. Maybe this entire situation should have had her focusing on her future, on the man she’d eventually meet who would be the father of this hero- Connor Page. But Karen was finding, the only thing she was focusing on was Frank. Every time he looked at her, touched her, smiled- he was lighting her up inside. 

Karen shut her eyes, stopping her train of thought right there. This entire scenario was complicated enough… she didn’t need to add to it. Her feelings would only be a distraction to her. And to him? She was his mission. She shouldn’t fool herself into thinking that the connection she felt was anything more than that. She shook her head, not wanting to get sucked into a spiral of melancholy over this- there were much more important things going on. 

Karen forced a smile and went to join Frank in the kitchen. 

“We should have gone grocery shopping.” Karen grinned, she would have_ loved _to see him in a grocery store. She sidled up to him and assessed everything he’d set up. “What do we got here? Moth balls. Corn syrup. Ammonia. What’s for dinner?”

“Plastique.” 

She chuckled. “Mmm- that sounds good. What is it?”

Frank, as usual, barely registered her attempt at humor. 

“Nitroglycerin based explosive. It’s a bit more stable. I learned to make them when I was a kid.” 

The laugh died in Karen’s throat. This man… he’d been through so much. His world was terrible. He was focused on keeping them alive, while she was worrying over her little crush on him. Damn- she really needed to get it together. She squared her shoulders.

“Will you teach me?” 

He studied her a moment, then nodded, gesturing for her to come closer. For the next hour or so, she paid rapt attention to the low gravel of Frank’s voice. Turns out, when he wasn’t shouting at her, or freaking her out with apocalyptic visions of the future, his voice was kind of wonderful. Soothing. It also turned out that his eyes weren’t really black like she’d thought when they first met, when she’d been so afraid of him she tried to throw herself from a speeding car. They were a deep, dark brown. Warm and comforting at the same time as they were haunted and intense. 

Frank patiently taught her how to proportion all the ingredients, to get the mixture just right. To mix them all together so gently, keeping it settled and stable. Scooping the solution into the small pipes he’d laid out seemed to be the trickiest part. He stepped right up behind her as she worked, his chest pressing lightly against her back, guiding her hands when he thought she was moving too fast. Karen fought to ignore the fluttering in her stomach, to focus on her dangerous task. 

“Make sure there’s none on the threads- like this.” He said softly, taking the pipe from her and quickly wiping the access plastique off the threads with a small rag. He inspected his work, then handed the pipe back to her. “Screw the end cap on.” 

Karen picked up the cap with slightly trembling fingers, accidentally clanking it against the pipe. Frank hissed- holding up his hand to stop her.

_ “Very gently.” _

Karen nodded quickly, steadying herself. 

“You must have had a fun childhood.” She joked, timidly. He pinned her with a look that scolded her. Now was not the time for joking. 

She screwed the cap on slowly, like it was the most delicate thing in the universe, then looked up at him for approval. He took the pipe from her and gave the cap one more twist, making sure it was sealed extra tight.

“That’s good.” 

She smiled at him, pleased to receive his praise for once. He stilled. 

Frank had a tendency to stare at her. She noticed it from the very first time they’d met. His eyes never left her for too long. He watched her, searched her- like he knew her. He never seemed embarrassed to be caught staring. Maybe people from his time had different standards of personal boundaries, or maybe this was just a quirk of Frank Castle. Either way, he held her eyes now. His deep brown eyes taking her in, like he saw to the center of who she was. At first, it had made her a little uncomfortable, but now… now it was hard to explain how she felt when he looked at her. It felt good, heated, like she didn’t want him to stop until he burned her up entirely. Karen shivered. 

That seemed to snap Frank out of his stare, he looked quickly away and down to the pipe in his hand. He set it aside. 

“Alright. Six more like that and we’ll get started on the fuses.”

His voice was different now. That was his soldier voice. Karen was equally as relieved as she was disappointed. 

By the time they finished with the plastique it was starting to get dark outside. Karen was tired and Frank was restless. He told her he was going to go out and get them some food. She nodded, all of a sudden feeling scared as he walked to the door. She didn’t really want to be alone. He paused before walking out to look at her. Turning, he rifled through the bag of weapons they’d stolen at the police station and pulled out a handgun. He ejected the clip, checking to make sure it was full, then slapped it back together, cocking it to put one bullet in the chamber. He sat beside her on the bed.

“Do you know how to use this?”

He handed her the gun. Karen took it, testing the unfamiliar shape in her hand. 

“I’ve never used one before, but I think I know the basics. Point it toward the bad guy and pull the trigger, right?” 

His mouth tipped up to one side. “That’s right.” 

He covered her hand with his and gave it a light squeeze. 

“I’ll be back soon. If anyone one comes to that door who isn’t me- pull the trigger.”

He waited for her to nod back at him before he got up and quickly left the room, locking the door behind him. 

Karen was alone. The silence was deafening. She flung the gun across the bed, wanting it away from her. _ Shit- she was supposed to become some sort of warrior woman? _ Just holding the gun made her nauseated. She didn’t want to think about this anymore. 

She needed a shower. 

The warm water and sterile smelling soap actually did a lot to bolster Karen’s mood. She felt human again. Karen laughed at her own internal joke. Feeling _ human _ had taken on a whole new meaning. She combed her hair, wrapped herself in a towel, and exited the steamy bathroom, sure that Frank wouldn’t be back yet. 

She sat back down on the bed, gazing at the gun she’d left near the pillows. She wondered if Frank would share the bed with her again, like he did last night. Or if he’d only been doing her a kindness because she’d been frightened. Well, she was definitely still frightened, but she didn’t know if it was a good idea. The way he made her feel… 

It was so fucking confusing! And she had no one to talk to. The need to call her mom hit Karen like a rogue wave. _ Mom… _Her mom was probably freaking out. It would be cruel to just leave her in the dark, with no word if Karen was alive or dead. 

Karen picked up her burner and dialed her mom’s house without another thought. Her mom answered immediately.

“Hello?” Her voice was teary, frantic. Karen’s heart launched into her throat.

“Mom- its me.” 

“Oh, thank God- Karen, thank God!”

“I’m fine. I can’t tell you much right now, but I wanted you to know I’m ok.” Karen choked out. 

“Where are you?”

“I can’t tell you where I am, Mom. I was told not to say.”

“Oh, but Honey- I _ need _to know where I can reach you! I have to see you on the news, all the stories making it sound like you’re dead or kidnapped- I am worried sick here!"

Karen’s stomach churned. She’d never heard her mom so worked up before. It wasn’t like her. But then again, these were intense circumstances… Karen caved.

She ended up giving her mom her burner number and letting her know the name of the motel where they were staying. After telling her she loved her, and assuring her about a dozen more times that she was okay, she finally hung up with her mom. _ God- _she missed her so much. Wished she could see her. She should have visited more often. 

Karen sat there on the bed, now quite cold, wrapped only in her damp towel. She was shaking, but it wasn’t just the chill of the room. It was _ everything. _ Everything Karen was suddenly realizing she’d taken for granted. Her family, her job, the clothes she got to wear, the food she got to eat, her entire world. She hadn’t been grateful enough, hadn’t truly understood how good she had it. She’d been blind to the beauty of it all, to the miracle of love and friendship that surrounded her. Friendship… _ Electra- _ dead because of her. Because of this waking nightmare that was now her life. 

Karen broke down. Crying into her hands, sobbing in the empty room. What the hell was she going to do? This was inescapable. She and Frank couldn’t stay in this run down motel forever. The Terminator was out there and was never going to stop hunting her until she was dead. Frank didn’t know if he could beat it. He’d already been shot for her… what if…

She wept harder. 

And of course, because everything in her life sucked, that was the exact moment Frank walked back in. He kicked the door shut and froze when he saw her crying. He dropped the bags he was carrying and scrambled to her. He was on his knees, kneeling in front of her where she sat on the bed, his face a mess of worry.

“What happened? Are you injured? _ Are you hurt? _” 

He was grabbing her hands, touching her face. She was so embarrassed. 

“No- no, I’m fine.” Karen sniffled. “I’m sorry. I just got… overwhelmed.”

She was wiping at her cheeks, trying to erase the evidence of her tears. 

Frank’s breathing slowed as he searched her face, still trying to make 100% sure she wasn’t actually injured. Karen felt so exposed. Sitting there in a towel, crying in front of this guy who’d experienced so much more pain than she could even imagine… What must he think of her?

Frank got up off the floor and sat on the bed next to her. He wrapped an arm around her. The gesture was so kind, it made Karen want to start crying again. She fought it back. They sat there for several minutes, quiet and heavy. 

“He’ll find us won’t he?” She mumbled into his hoodie. 

“Probably.”

“It’ll never be over will it?” 

Frank didn’t answer, but his silence was answer enough.

She let out a sad little laugh. “Look at me, I’m shaking.” 

He started rubbing his hands up and down her arms, like he was trying to warm her up. 

“Some legend, huh?” She rolled her eyes at herself. “You must be pretty disappointed.”

Frank stilled. He tipped her chin up with his knuckle so that she had to look him in the eyes. 

“No. I’m not.” He said it with the same reverence in his voice he used when he was talking about Connor Page. His eyes burned with the same truth. 

Karen believed him. And she was so thankful, it made her ache. His stare was so intense, she had to look away. She focused on the zipper of his hoodie instead, fiddled with it with her fingers. She usually had to prod Frank into talking, so was surprised when his low voice broke the silence.

“Connor Page gave me a picture of you once. I didn’t know why at the time.” Karen looked up at him, but he was staring off into space, like he was reliving the moment. 

“It was very old. An outdated file type. You were young, like you are now.” He looked back down at her, like he was transported, like he was seeing her for the first time. “You had this little smile… I used to always wonder what you were thinking in that moment. What made you smile. I memorized every line. Every curve.” 

Karen’s heart started to race, she was hanging on his words. 

“I came across time for you, Karen. I love you. Since the moment I saw you- I’ve loved you.”

Her breath caught in her throat. Frank’s eyes were so dark, so deep, they were going to swallow her whole. But then he snapped them closed, seeming to shut himself down from the inside. He ripped his arm from around her and stood, like he needed as much space between them as possible. Karen was instantly cold. 

He loved her. He’d been in love with her since before they even met. The connection she’d been feeling this entire time-_ it was real. _Karen’s heart was pounding. She loved him too. It was insane- totally insane. They’d just met. But it didn’t matter. Something in her soul reached out for his. She knew it. It was like… it was like fate. 

Frank stalked over to the kitchen, his face set in harsh lines. Karen watched him at a loss, not sure if either of them was ready for what was surely about to happen. Frank started busying himself with cleaning up the remnants of the plastique they’d left out earlier. He was handling all the materials quite a bit more roughly than he’d instructed Karen to. 

“I shouldn’t have said that.” He bit out between grit teeth, clearly angry at himself. 

But Karen didn’t want him to take it back. He couldn’t. And neither could she. 

She approached him, and he turned his back to her. But she wouldn’t be denied. She worked her way around him until she could grab hold of his arm, cup his jaw. He stiffened, resisting her. She pulled at him, she was nervous, and excited, and needy. He wouldn’t look at her. 

She kissed him anyway. 

He froze. 

She kissed his unwilling mouth again. And again. And- finally he looked at her, his pupils blown out, eyes almost black like the first time she’d ever seen them. They breathed together, sharing the same air. 

When he finally moved, it was like being hit by a tidal wave. His mouth covered hers, his hands made fists in her hair, pulling so hard in almost hurt. When his tongue met hers for the first time she moaned, and the sound seemed to make his knees nearly buckle. They staggered into the fridge and he pressed her there, kissing her harder, deeper. Drinking from her like she was the fountain of life itself. Karen felt delirious, getting drunk from his kisses, from the sensation of his body, hot, and hard, pressing her, grinding against her. 

Frank reached down to rome her chest, her stomach, her ass. Her towel unravelled. They both heard the damp thud of it against the floor and slowed for a moment. Frank stared. Karen resisted the urge to cover up, to hide from him. She wanted him to see her. She wanted him to have her. The look in his eyes was setting her skin on fire. He took her in from head to toe, his gaze lingered on her breasts, on the juncture between her thighs. His breathing got heavier and heavier. Karen thought she might pass out from how hot he was making her. When he finally met her eyes again, he looked like he could have breathed smoke. 

He took her mouth, brutally, perfectly. Karen throbbed. She started tugging at his hoodie, frantic, needing his skin. Frank didn’t waste time with unzipping it, he pulled the whole thing and his shirt up over his head in one motion and tossed it away before taking her mouth again. He reached down, grabbing Karen’s ass and lifting her up. Her legs wrapped around him automatically, and she could feel how ready he was for her. She was just as ready for him. He walked them over to the bed and laid her down. Karen only got a few seconds to enjoy the view of him standing over her before he kicked his boots off and crawled on top of her. She gasped, loving the feeling of being covered by him completely, pinned down by his weight. 

Franks mouth was on her neck, her chest. Karen raked her fingers through his short hair, dug her nails into his back. His hands wandered further. Down her stomach, between her legs. He wasn’t the most vocal lover, she could have predicted that. But he sighed at his first touch, at finding how wet and hot she was for him. 

“Ahhh- yes!” Karen whimpered, needing him to know how much she was loving it, how much freedom he had. To touch her, to kiss her, to… _ anything. _ She wanted it all. 

He circled his fingers, watching, open mouthed as she writhed beneath him. As she gasped and moaned, just about lost her mind. By the time he finally sunk a finger inside her, Karen was almost crying with need. Just a few more strokes, a few more kisses to her neck, a bite to her collar bone- and she shattered. She came- shaking and panting and nearly drawing blood with her nails across his back. He never looked away, not once. He stared. In awe of the sight of her coming unglued by his hands. It made her feel precious. So loved. 

But she wasn’t done. Not by a long shot. She slid her hands around him to the button of his pants. She wanted him naked. Now. Frank was no help, still worshipping her lips, her neck, her breasts. It wasn’t until she’d sunk her hands into his pants and grasped the hot, hard, length of him that he finally understood her urgency. The grunt he made the first time she ran her thumb over his head was the hottest sound she’d ever heard. 

Frank took over again, shucking off his pants and flipping them over so he was on his back, Karen straddling him. He could lift her like she weighed nothing. He could absolutely dominate her- and that turned her on so much she felt like she was going to melt. But then he put her in charge. She looked down at him stretched out beneath her, and she felt strong, powerful, maybe a little bit like the warrior woman he told her she’d one day become. 

Karen reached down and stroked him. As stoic as he usually was, he was an open book right now. His chest was heaving. He bit the inside of his cheek and his eyes darted up to hers, openly longing, begging her to give him what he wanted. And what he wanted was _ her. _ She leaned up and refused to break eye contact with him as she sank down on him, even though the sensation of him filling her up was so good that it made her want to throw her head back and scream.

She rocked and he thrust up to meet her. She lost herself in the overwhelming tide. Frank’s touch never lost its intensity, but the closer they got to the finish, the more reverence she felt in his kisses, his caress. It was so good, too beautiful. Karen panted as she struggled to reach that peak. When she started to lose her rhythm, Frank made up for it. Speeding up, driving her onward. He was staring in that way he had, and she stared right back, writing this moment indelibly on her heart. Swearing sacred oaths to him she’d have to verbalize later, because right now all she could do was succumb to the power of it all, to the beauty. She was shivering, quaking. She moaned in pure bliss as she felt him come undone too, felt him let go inside her, filling her up in a way that felt more right than anything had ever felt in her life.   


:::  


Frank felt weightless. 

The woman in his arms was trembling, clinging to him in a way that sang of absolute trust. Pure surrender. He felt the same way. He savored it, running his hands up and down her back, kissing her hair. Eventually, he rolled them so they were on their sides, facing each other. Now they could both touch, both look, both shower each other in light kisses in turns. It was like a dream. Such a good dream. But better, because it was real. It was him and Karen… and it was right. 

There was a distant rumbling in the back of Frank’s mind. Lightning and thunder and screaming that he was making a mistake. He’d come here to protect Karen Page, not fall in love with her- _ definitely _not do what they’d just done. This was about the war with the machines, about humanity’s last hope. But that was just the thing… Frank wasn’t a machine. He was human. This was what they were all fighting for, right? For their humanity? Every part of Frank’s human heart had dedicated itself to this woman from the moment he saw her. His soul was linked to hers- he couldn’t explain it. He didn’t know what was going to happen, or what to do next- but he and Karen- they’d been brought together by the forces of the universe. 

Frank let his hands glide over Karen’s body, heavily, possessively. There was no way he’d let her go now. He needed her. In fact, he needed her _ right now. _

Frank leaned down to kiss her. The little catch in her breath sent a new wave of heat through his veins. He rolled them over, settling himself between her thighs, loving the way she opened up for him, her ice blue eyes a mirror image of his own hunger. She moaned as he entered her. He had to stop, to shudder. The sounds she made… he _ loved _them. Where he’s from, there’s so little privacy, and people in general are just much more guarded. Karen was so free; whimpering and gasping and showing him in every possible way that she was right there with him, lost to it the same way he was, but so much better at showing it. Every time she moaned he felt like he was losing more of his sanity. And when she started gasping his name… he suddenly found himself gasping right back, unable to help himself. 

Frank thrust harder, faster, driving them both to the brink. His buried his face in her neck, and her lips were right there by his ear, panting, whispering his name, and _ yes_, and some other little nothings he could barely understand. He felt like he was lit up from the inside, like she was burning him alive. It was so good, so perfect, she was everything- _ everything. _ And then she bit down on his earlobe… and he lost himself completely. He heard his own voice cry out in a ragged groan, every cell in his body screaming her name. He bucked against her over and _ over_ and- _ yes, _ he felt her fluttering around him. _ GOD. _ They plunged together into the deep ocean of bliss and connection and wholeness that only comes from being with the one you truly love.

Then they rose back to the surface, gasping for breath, clinging to each other. 

Rescuing each other. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And he felt a peace and a certainty like he’d never known. This woman. She was the warrior. She was the legend. She was the one who would raise her son, their son, to be the man that would save the human race. 
> 
> She had to get out of here. 
> 
> ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :::PLEASE READ:::
> 
> Hey Friends! I wanted to pop a note up here just to make extra sure everyone noted the warnings on this story. This is the end- and if you already know the story of The Terminator, then you know what comes next. There will be violence and death- as much as it pained me to write it. 
> 
> I know so many of us read these fics to relax and just enjoy ourselves- so I wanted to flag these warnings again. I'd hate to bum someone out who wasn't expecting it!
> 
> So for those who proceed- THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR READING! For those of you who followed the first chapters and waited soooo long for this last one- I'm sorry for the wait! My heart just wasn't ready to write these final moments. I don't know if I have it in me to write non-happy endings, but I hope I did these characters and stories justice. 
> 
> I appreciate all of you so much! Thanks again and Happy New Year!
> 
> ....

Frank woke with the light again, still unused to the brightness of the sun, the way it could illuminate the entire room from the smallest crack in the curtains. He was tired, but he didn’t mind. They hadn’t got much sleep.

Last night had been… _ amazing. _ Like something out of someone else’s life, or a dream he’d never thought could come true. It was a wild, wonderful blur in his mind, punctuated by unforgettable moments that made time itself slow down. 

Frank tried to remember how many times they’d come together last night, but it was hard to say. They’d dozed off a few times, but soon enough one of them was waking the other with breathless kisses, needy hands. Sometimes it had been tender and sweet. Other times, they just fucked like the world was ending. Because it was. Karen Page had been over him and under him and all around him. Spinning with him in the eye of a storm he never wanted to escape. 

He glanced down at Karen, who was once again sprawled across his chest. She was so damn beautiful. Her golden hair fanned out across her back, her smooth skin on his, her pretty pink lips still kiss swollen. 

Frank’s skin sizzled remembering a particular moment from last night when he must have dozed off again. He woke to the most insane feeling and looked down to find Karen leaning over him, her mouth… _ fuck. _ He’d tried to just absorb it, to lay back and enjoy it, but it was too damn much. One moan out of her, feeling the vibrations over him- he lost control. He yanked her up the bed, underneath him, and pounded into her like an animal. He was grunting, and growling, and confessing everything he’d ever felt for her. He’d spilled inside her quickly and was almost afraid to look at her as his blood cooled. Afraid that he’d been too rough, said too much. But then she was running her hands over his back, sighing and whispering to him that it was so good, that she loved it. 

Frank was so relieved that he'd nearly collapsed on top of her. Instead, he'd situated her on the pillows and laid his head down on her chest. Karen ran her nails along his skull in a way that made him melt. They were silent for a while, about to fall asleep again.

“Do all future men have this crazy stamina? Always ready to go? Or is that just you?”

His eyes snapped open- _ did she seriously just ask him that? _

Then he could feel her belly bouncing. She was laughing, teasing him again. 

Frank laughed and looked up at her, trying and failing to school his face into something of a frown. 

“It’s definitely just me.”

And he crawled back up her body, intent on proving his point. 

Frank smiled at the memory. She was funny. She made him laugh. 

She was so damn gorgeous, here, in the morning light, glowing like the angel he knew she was. 

Karen must have felt the change in his breathing now that he was awake. She pressed her face into his chest, nuzzling for a moment, then looked up at him with squinty, sleepy eyes. She smiled. 

“Morning.”

This time, he smiled back. “Morning.”

Karen planted a few light kisses across his chest, then leaned up so she could look at him more easily. 

“So, what do we do today?”

“I was thinking we should get another car, drive at least a day or two.” He traced his knuckles up and down her arm. “It couldn’t hurt to get farther away from New York.”

Karen nodded at him, eyes sparkling. “Are you going to teach me how to hotwire a car?”

He grinned. “Sure. That’s easy.” 

She laughed. She was handling all of this so well. She’s incredible.

After a few more minutes of inexcusable laziness, Karen popped up out of bed, grabbed some of her new clothes, and headed into the bathroom. Frank watched, missing the view of her naked body when she shut the bathroom door. 

He closed his eyes, silencing that storm in the back of his mind. Choosing to enjoy this, to allow a simple moment of real human happiness. He eventually rolled out of bed and stretched, his body feeling rejuvenated. Frank was just buttoning up his pants when Karen emerged from the bathroom.

Frank felt his knees turn to jelly, he almost staggered back. 

Karen looked refreshed and happy. She was in a pair of jeans and a nondescript plain white t-shirt. There was nothing special about it… except for the fact that Frank knew that shirt by heart. The way it hung slightly to the slide, revealing one smooth collar bone, the way she’d rolled up the sleeves. It was _ the shirt. _ The one from the picture. 

Karen didn’t seem to notice Frank’s alarm. She swept through the room, then pulled out a chair and took a seat at the table near the window, she opened the curtains just an inch, to peek outside and catch a bit of sun. 

Frank felt like he’d been kicked in the head. _ How had he not noticed it before? _ That was the window. The window he’d stared at a thousand times as he studied the angel woman sitting there beside it. 

He suddenly understood many things all at once. This was the day the picture was taken, right here… right _ now. _He gaped, grappling with the overwhelming feeling that he already knew his next steps, but could hardly believe this was really happening. He stared so long that she eventually looked back at him, grinning. 

“OK- what is it?”

Frank couldn’t answer, his throat was completely dry. He grabbed his burner out of his pocket with shaking hands and pulled up the camera. She squinted her eyes at him, teasing. 

“I thought you said I shouldn’t be seen on cameras?”

“It's ok.” Frank shook his head, gulping. “J-just this once.” 

Karen grinned again, her eyes mischievous. She leaned into the sunlight. Her long blonde hair flowed in waves over her shoulders and fell slightly into her face… just like he knew it would.

Snap.

There it was. The picture that had changed his life. All this time… he’d wondered what she’d been thinking about, who made her so happy, who she was smiling at. 

It was him. _ Him. _

He was meant to be here. They were meant to be.

Frank’s love for her had literally traveled across time and space. Realizations came to him in an avalanche. Too much to process. He and Karen were destined… so that meant… he was probably the father of Connor Page. His hero. _ Holy shit… had he known? _

Frank’s head spun. 

He stared at the picture so long and so hard that he didn’t hear Karen calling his name, didn’t notice her approach until she was right in front of him, taking his face in her hands. Her big, blue eyes were filled with concern. 

“Frank? What is it? What’s wrong?” 

Frank stared into those blue eyes that were so familiar, so precious to him now, on even more levels than he’d ever known. He realised she was wiping tears from his cheeks with her thumbs. He hadn’t cried in… years. 

Frank shook his head, “Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine.”

It was true. He was just overwhelmed. He realized with another jolt- if he was Connor Page’s father… he was going to die. Soon, from what he knew of Connor’s back story. He and Karen were on borrowed time. That didn’t really change anything- they were in danger no matter what. It had always been likely that he would die. But knowing it for sure was surreal. 

“Frank…” Karen snapped him back to the present. She didn’t believe that nothing was wrong- she was upset. Her eyes were getting glassy. 

_ No, Karen… please don’t cry… _

“I’m fine_ \- _really.” He said, trying to reassure her. 

She looked doubtful. He ran his knuckles down her cheek, knowing truly- for the very first time- that they had made their own fate. And they were right. Just because something wasn’t meant to last, didn’t mean it wasn’t meant to be.

“I’m better than I’ve ever been.” He said, low and soft. He stared straight into her soul, needing her to believe him. “I love you, Karen Page. I always will. Never forget that.”

His voice was choking up. He couldn’t say any more. Frank kissed her with so much love that he ached with it. Again, and again, his mouth took hers. And she bent with him, swayed with him, gave herself to him so fully. 

Frank’s hands fumbled with her clothes, they were shaking and he was sloppy. Karen took over for him, undressing them both, not quite sure what was going on in his head, but wanting to be there for him. _ With him _. They fell back onto the bed, and this time, there were no words, no whispered confessions, no sweet nothings. Frank knew if he opened his mouth right now he’d have no control over what came out, and he didn’t want to burden Karen with all that. She had enough to deal with already. 

So, he went slow, he savored this. He memorized it the way he’d memorized that picture so long ago. The softness of her, the taste of her, the way she breathed. He let it wash over him; the sweetness, the honesty, the unashamed humanity of it all. He clung to her like it was the last time he’d get the chance. 

Karen seemed to understand that he didn’t want to rush this, he needed to take it slow. She reached for his hands and entwined their fingers- it was so intimate, so loving. He never wanted this to end… Frank was barely thrusting, struggling against the pleasure building inside him. 

Karen wrapped her legs around him tighter, holding him so close, offering everything she had. They stared at each other. Brown eyes into blue, the future into the past. And then she said the words he hadn’t realized he’d journeyed across time to hear.

“I love you, Frank.”

He gasped, like she just knocked the wind out of him. He gripped her hands harder.

“I love you. _ I love you. _”

His heart was hammering. Frank groaned and let the wave roll over him, suddenly thrusting faster, harder. 

Karen repeated it, clearly seeing the effect it had on him. She kept whispering she loved him, over and over until he thought he’d go crazy. She was wrecking him, unravelling him. Her confessions of love got breathier, higher pitched. He was lost in it. Consumed by it. The sound of her voice, the feel of their bodies struggling together so sweetly, the absolute sense of completion, the relief of total surrender. He couldn’t contain it all. They both came undone as he shouted her name.

Frank kept kissing her as their heart rates slowed, as their breathing returned to normal. His lips grazing her, never leaving her skin, from her lips, to her cheeks, and nose, and neck. Karen received them all, like a flower opening up for the sun, eyes closed, with the softest smile. 

“It’s good to see you smile.” Frank whispered. His voice actually a little hoarse from overuse. 

Karen’s eyes flickered open and she peered at him with a grin. 

Frank nudged her nose with his. 

“Yesterday, when I got back from the store… why were you crying?” He asked. 

Karen rolled her eyes at herself, still clearly a little embarrassed about him seeing her cry. She carded her fingers through his hair. 

“It was nothing really.” She traced the shell of his ear with her finger. “I was just feeling scared and overwhelmed. I called my mom, and it was so good to hear her voice, but it just reminded me about how nothing was ever going to be the same and…”

Karen trailed off feeling the way Frank tensed, every muscle in his body rigid as his eyes darted to hers.

“You called your mom?” 

Karen’s face went white, suddenly realizing her mistake. 

“Yes.” She whispered. 

Frank rolled off of Karen and was scrambling for his clothes. He glanced at Karen over his shoulder, she stared at him looking stricken. 

“We have to go. Get dressed, Karen. Now.” He ordered. 

“I’m so sorry…” She seemed frozen in place, clutching the white bed sheets to her beautiful, naked body. “... so sorry…” 

Frank’s heart clenched. She was terrified and he didn’t want to bark orders at her, but they had no time. No time for fear. No time for guilt. They needed to run. He buttoned up his pants and rushed to her, kneeling at the bedside and taking her face in his hands. 

“It’s gonna be ok. We need to move. Right now.” 

His eyes bored into hers, needing her to understand, needing her to focus. 

“No fear. No panic. Only survival. Only fight.” 

He kept his grip on her face until he saw it in her eyes, it all clicked together. 

“OK.” She nodded. “Ok.”

Frank let go of her and ran to the kitchen, gathering their plastique as quickly and carefully as he could. He spun back toward her when he heard a loud crunch. Karen, now fully dressed, was stomping on her phone, crushing it to pieces. She had the sim card in her hand and snapped it in half. _ Good girl. _

Frank dug his burner out of his pocket.

“Karen.” 

He tossed the phone to her as soon as she looked his way. She caught it, confused. 

“Keep that. Don’t lose it.”

She nodded.

Frank shouldered his backpack of plastique supplies and was hastily zipping up the duffel of guns when he jolted to a halt. The loud roar of a motorcycle ripped through the morning quiet. The engine didn’t zoom past the motel. It got louder and louder, then killed in the parking lot. His eyes darted to Karen’s. They stared at each other fear, silently hoping that the motorcycle belonged to someone else, anyone else in the world… 

Ferocious growling and barking cracked through the air. The motel owner’s dog in the lobby. 

_ Dogs are good at detecting Terminators. _

It was here. 

They were sure of it. In the exact same moment they both rushed toward the window at the back of their room. Frank was out first and helped Karen down. 

A gunshot. The dog stopped barking. 

Frank took Karen’s hand, sprinting toward the cars in the rear parking lot, ignoring the sounds of shouting and gunfire behind them, knowing that the Terminator was now going room to room, hunting for them, killing everyone in its path. 

Frank scanned the lot and pulled Karen toward a large SUV. He dug in the pocket of his backpack for the screwdriver he’d picked up at the hardware store. In three quick blows, he used it to smash through the driver’s side window. Once in, he leaned over the seat and jammed the screwdriver into the ignition and gave it a vicious twist. The truck roared to life. 

“Drive, Karen.” 

She was ready at the wheel by the time he flew around the car to the passenger seat. The moment he slammed his door shut she hit the gas. Frank looked behind them. No Terminator in sight. 

Karen was just making her way around to the front of the motel when they heard the motorcycle scream to life. The Terminator was rushing toward them, shotgun extended, as Karen sped toward the road. Frank grabbed for his own shotgun, but he knew he wasn’t going to be fast enough. The SUV jerked to the right. 

“Karen!”

Instead of racing to get to the open road, Karen veered straight toward the Terminator. Ducking down to avoid the blast from it’s shotgun that peppered the side of their truck and shattered the windshield, she screamed but didn’t stop. Before the Terminator could rack his shotgun for another round, Karen mowed him down. The motorcycle was crushed and the cyborg flew several feet before hitting the ground, skidding and rolling across the parking lot. 

Karen yanked the wheel around and sped for the road. She looked over at Frank with fire in her eyes. 

_ There she is. Karen Page. The warrior. The Legend. _

Frank’s heart swelled with pride and love. “Atta girl.”

Karen’s eyes flickered back to the road and Frank turned so he could see out the rear window. The Terminator was up, staring at them from the parking lot. Eerily still. From around the bend, a semi truck emerged on the road behind them and zoomed past the motel in their direction. Frank felt ice prickling over his skin. _ Fuck. _

The Terminator took off, running with a speed no human would ever be able to match. Frank watched in dread as the cyborg gained on the truck. It got closer and closer. Frank cursed, as he saw the cyborg leap toward the truck driver’s door, rip it off, and a few seconds later, throw the driver out as well. 

Shit.

“Faster, Karen. We have to go faster.” Frank turned back around and cocked his shotgun. “He’s coming.” 

She looked terrified, but obeyed. Their SUV flew down the road, but the semi was gaining on them. Fast. 

Frank's eyes were glued to the rearview mirror, noticing for the first time that the semi barreling toward them in was a fuel tanker. Basically, a gigantic speeding bomb chasing them down. His gut twisted. 

“Fucking floor it, Karen!”

_ “I am!” _She shouted back, struggling to see through the spiderweb of cracks in their broken windshield. 

An exit was coming up. Getting off the highway would give them an advantage, the huge tanker wouldn’t handle the rougher roads as well as their SUV. 

“Take the exit! _ Now! _” 

Karen yanked the wheel. They skidded onto the country road. The tanker followed at breakneck speed, still gaining on them. Frank leaned out the window, unloading blast after blast, into the semi’s hood and grill, hoping like hell that he could somehow do enough damage to the engine to get the goddamn thing to die. But the tanker didn’t slow. It was like a nightmare, landing shot after shot, but knowing it was making no difference. When he knew he only had one shot left, Frank aimed higher, straight for the Terminator, and shattered it’s windshield. Frank slid back inside the truck to reload, but paused, furious, as he watched the Terminator punch through the splintered windshield, toss it away, and keep speeding toward them as easily as swatting away a fly. 

“Metal motherfucker.” Frank growled. He dropped the shotgun and reached for his backpack. He needed more firepower to bring this piece of shit down. He grabbed a pipe of plastique, lit the fuse, and leaned back out the window counting in his head.

Three, two, _ one- _

He threw it, but _ goddammit- _ the fuse didn’t burn the way it should. It took too long. The thing bounced under the tires and was left in the dust. It didn’t blow until the tanker was about 50 feet past it.

He tried again, held on to the pipe longer. 

Five, four, three, two, _ one- _

Same result, the pipe exploding too far behind the tanker to do any damage. SHIT.

Karen’s scream made him whip around and face forward. They were no longer on an empty country road. They were speeding through a quiet little town. A town that had stop lights, and other cars, and pedestrians. Karen was doing her best, swerving around every obstacle, weaving through intersections, trying to avoid the innocent, but it was slowing them down. The Terminator was blasting through everyone and everything in its way. 

She screamed again as the Tanker finally got close enough to clip the end of their SUV. At this speed that stood no chance. Their vehicle ricocheted off the tanker and spun out, making a full rotation before slamming into a light pole. 

Time stood still for a swirling moment. Coughing and wheezing through the cloud of dust from the airbags, Frank reached for Karen. He slid his fingers through her hair, cupping the back of her head. 

“You ok?”

She was breathing heavily, but nodded. _ So brave. _ Their eyes held. _ More time, _ he wished he had more time just to look at her. 

Their moment of quiet was ripped apart by the squealing of breaks as the semi skidded to a halt. The chase was far from over. 

Frank and Karen nodded to each other, each trying to give the other a little strength, a little reassurance. Frank climbed out of the SUV with his backpack and dragged Karen out behind him. Her door was jammed shut by the pole, so she had to crawl through his side. The moment she was settled on her feet, Frank took off toward the tanker. Shouting “RUN!” over his shoulder, grateful that she did exactly as he asked. 

His hands were fumbling with the plastique as he ran, but he managed to light the fuse. He hung on to it as long as he could, knowing he’d miscalculated the burn time on his last two tries, but also knowing that if he held on too long he’d blow his own goddamn hand off. 

He searched for the Terminator as he counted down in his head. 

_ Five... where the fuck are you? _

_ Four... _

_ Three... come out, you bastard. _

_ Two... _

The Terminator stepped around the back of the fuel tanker. Its suit blood stained and torn. One eye, a glowing, electric red, the other, brown and human, but just as lifeless. 

_ One. _

It leveled its shotgun at Frank in the exact moment Frank launched the pipe bomb. 

Frank hit the ground and the world exploded. The plastique created an explosion on its own, but then it ignited the fuel tanker... The earth shook. The windows of the surrounding cars and buildings shattered. The heat of it scorched Frank’s skin even from the distance where he lay on the ground. He groaned, but couldn’t hear his own voice over the ringing in his ears. 

Frank stared up at the sky, his thoughts refusing to take solid shape. Everything was a swirl of pain and confusion. He didn’t know if the Terminator was destroyed, if Karen was safe, if it was over… The one thing he did know was that the burning in his gut was not from the heat of the smouldering fuel tanker. He’d been shot. The Terminator’s shotgun blast had caught him… It had perfect aim after all. 

He felt no shock. But he did feel fear. He needed to know his mission was accomplished, that Karen was well and truly safe. 

Frank forced his body to move, to get up, to search the flames for any sign of the cyborg. He was afraid to hope for the best, but… the explosion had been huge and was burning hot, the Terminator had been right there next to it. Maybe… maybe it was over…

_ “Frank!” _

Frank turned toward the sound. Karen was running through the smoke, through the fire. Coming for him. So beautiful. So brave. He managed a couple of staggering steps in her direction before she was in his arms, solid and real and alive. Unharmed. 

The feel of her. The best thing in the world. 

They clung to each other as the world burned around them. He leaned into her neck, stroked her hair. She made fists in his shirt. She leaned back to do a scan of him, the same way he was scanning her, and the color drained from her face. Blood from his stomach was staining her white shirt. She looked up at him, horrified.

“No…” 

Frank didn’t know if she whispered it or shouted, he didn’t hear her. He just watched her mouth make the shapes of the word. 

_ Karen… _

He didn’t have time to tell her all the things he wanted her to know, all the things he wished he had years and years to share with her. He didn’t have time to comfort her or find the right words, because… 

_ NO- _

Over her shoulder, Frank saw his worst fears realized. Like a metal demon out of hell, the chrome skeletal frame of the Terminator was emerging from the flames. Skin and flesh had been burned away, but the machine remained. One of its legs was bent and twisted, but it still lurched forward, relentless. It would never stop. The Terminator’s head swiveled back and forth until its glowing red eyes landed on them. On Karen.

“Run!” Frank shouted, releasing his hold on her. 

But this time Karen didn’t do as she was told. She slung his arm around her shoulders and grabbed his waist. He didn’t argue with her. No time. 

Karen dragged him through the open garage doors of a gigantic building nearby. Some sort of factory. Frank staggered alongside her onto the factory floor, hoping to hide among the maze of machinery as they fled deeper and deeper in. Every few feet Karen would pull some lever or press a button, turning the massive machines on, drowning out the noise they made and adding to the visual confusion of the place. _ Good thinking. How the hell did she know how to do that? _

“My dad worked in a steel mill like this.” She said, seeming to read his thoughts.

Or maybe he’d actually been speaking out loud. It was hard to say. He couldn’t keep his thoughts coherent. Frank’s vision was tunneling. He started sinking to the floor, pulling Karen down with him. But she wouldn’t have it. She yanked him up, not letting his knees hit the ground. 

“No, Frank! Come on!” She shouted. 

But his legs wouldn’t cooperate, he couldn’t get his feet under him. He was fading. 

Karen grabbed him by the neck of his hoodie and shook him hard. 

_ “No!” _ She slapped him in the face. _ “ON YOUR FEET SOLDIER!” _

Frank came back to himself, focusing on her eyes. They were blazing with ice blue fury. Those were Connor Page’s eyes. He struggled to stand. 

“That’s right!” She slung his arm back over her shoulders. “Let's move.”

It was an order. He obeyed. And he felt a peace and a certainty like he’d never known. This woman. She was the warrior. She was the legend. She was the one who would raise her son, _ their son _, to be the man that would save the human race. 

She had to get out of here. 

Frank had fought enough battles to know when one was lost. He wasn’t scared, he wasn’t giving up… but he knew it was over. For him, not for her. But he had to hold on just a little longer. He hadn’t accomplished his mission. He couldn’t die while the Terminator was still standing. 

Frank stopped walking. Karen was jerked to a halt and glared up at him, furious. But the fire in her eyes died as she read the look on his face. She knew what he was about to say. So he didn’t say it.

He kissed her. It was soft, but deep, and full of unspoken promises and dreams. It was the kiss he would have given her on their wedding day, if they’d only had the chance. 

When they parted, Karen’s eyes were full of tears. 

“No…” She whispered. “Please…”

“I need you to run, Karen. I need you to do that for me.” He kissed her cheek. “For our son.” 

She didn’t run. She just cried harder. Karen didn’t seem at all surprised at what he’d said. She’d figured it out too. 

“You’re going to save the world, Karen. You can do it. But you have to go. Now.” 

She looked ready to refuse, but suddenly they both stilled. They heard the horrible scraping sound of the Terminator dragging its mangled leg a few seconds before they saw it across the floor. Its red eyes found them where they’d been hiding behind a row of giant machines. It turned to face them, limping and staggering. Then it started gaining speed. 

Frank’s head whipped back to Karen, desperate. 

“GO _ NOW! _” 

His Love gave him one last look, full of devotion and agony and understanding. Then she turned and fled. 

Frank couldn’t watch her leave. He spun back toward the Terminator and grabbed the plastique and tools from his bag. 

The cyborg was getting closer and closer, the metal clank of its lurching gait growing louder and louder. 

Frank willed his fingers to stop shaking, his body firing off his last reserves of adrenaline. He flicked open his knife and cut the fuse of the pipe bomb down to almost nothing. A fuse that short would blow almost instantly, the moment it touched a flame. 

The Terminator was almost on top of him, only yards away. 

Frank dropped his knife and grabbed his lighter. His hands were slick with sweat and blood. There was no time for his fingers to slip, he held on as tight as he could. Frank glared into the machine’s cold red eyes. 

_ Come on, you fucker. _

The Terminator was feet away, it raised its arm to make a lethal swipe. Frank ducked under its arm, flicked the lighter, and the fuse sparked to life. In the millisecond of time he had left, he jammed the plastique pipe up into the cyborg’s chassis, and let the euphoria flood him. 

_ Karen… _

:::

Karen was running at a dead sprint when she heard the explosion, as she felt the shockwaves roll through her. Terrified, she stumbled to the ground and covered her head with her hands. But no more explosions followed. No shouting. No clanking of a metal skeleton heading her way. There was nothing but the rumble and grind of the factory. 

After a few more moments of shaking on the cold concrete, Karen knew. She knew it was over. Really over. Frank had killed it. 

Karen got to her feet like she was floating. He’d told her to leave, but there was nothing to be scared of anymore. She was on autopilot making her way back to Frank, to the center of the black smoke that now billowed up from where they’d been hiding. From where he’d kissed her goodbye. A sob stuck in her throat, it wouldn’t come out of her mouth. It was just lodged in her windpipe, choking her. 

The sounds of sirens moaned to life all around the factory. Red and blue lights flashed from the open garage doors. Karen ignored them. She drifted closer to the wreckage. She barely noted the scattered shrapnel of what had once been the Terminator. Her eyes were only for him. For the red ruin of the man who was the love of her life. The man that had saved the world.

::: Eight months later :::

Karen wiped her brow with the back of her hand. It was a hot and humid summer day even up here in the remote mountains of Vermont. Her sundress was sticking to her in all the wrong places, tempting her to just rip the damn thing off. It would be easy and pretty much risk free, after all, hers was the only cabin in these parts for miles and miles. Karen grinned at herself, imagining what some unsuspecting hikers would think if they caught a glimpse of her, The Naked Pregnant Lady Who Lives In The Woods. She might become a local legend.

She laughed quietly. The _ legendary _ Karen Page. 

Karen ran her hand over her big belly absently, looking out into the trees. This land was beautiful, all thick forests and clean rivers, tall mountains and open air. She would have loved to show Frank this place. He’d never seen anything like this. 

She sighed. She wished she could have buried him here. It would have been nice. But the simple arrangements in the small Pennsylvania town where he died were the best she could do for him. He’d been a John Doe, no ID, no records. Karen’s testimony to the NYPD was enough to prove that she didn’t really know him. She had no legal right to move him or make special plans. 

At the hospital, in the days following Frank’s death, Karen was questioned by police several times. Both the small town Sheriff, who’s brother had owned the factory they’d damaged, as well as the NYPD officers who’d taken up her case since the original detective had been killed when the precinct was attacked.

Karen was as truthful as she could be in answering questions, but she wasn’t a fool. After what she’d seen during Frank’s interrogation, she wasn’t about to start talking about time travel and terminators. They’d think she was crazy. So, she answered what she could, and filled in the blanks with a lot of “I don’t know”s and “I don’t remember”s. 

Karen was sure the police eventually decided that she’d been kidnapped and had developed some sort of Stockholm Syndrome attachment to her abductor. But in the end, he was dead and she was no longer in danger. Problem solved. 

Perhaps there were lingering questions about the technologically advanced robotic shrapnel that was found scattered all over the steel mill, but no one had any logical answers. The Terminator was probably in pieces, boxed up and collecting dust in that small town Sheriff’s basement. It seemed easiest for all parties if Karen Page and her confusing story just faded away. 

Karen let out a sharp whistle and in a few seconds she heard the soft thudding of Scout’s paws barrelling toward her. The blue pitt bounded to her, wagging his tail with his tongue lolling out from his big toothy grin. _ Such a good boy. _

Karen crouched down to accept a couple of his sloppy kisses before rising, slowly, and with great effort, up to her full height and waiving for the dog to precede her back into the cabin. 

_ Dogs are good at detecting terminators. _

Frank’s voice echoed in her mind as she watched Scout circle the small cabin making sure everything was just as he left it. If Frank had been right, the war was won, there would be no reason for Karen to be on the lookout for terminators, but… she’d rather be safe than sorry. And either way, Scout was _ such _ a good boy.

Karen latched the door behind her and padded, barefoot, over to her kitchen for a glass of water. _ God, it’s hot. _ After a long drink, Karen pressed the cool glass to her neck and surveyed the cabin. Everything was organized and prepped. It was ready. When the baby arrived, she hoped she’d be as ready as this cabin is. Looking at the juxtaposition in her little home never failed to send a shiver down her spine. 

On one side of the room was a crib, a changing table, and toys. On the other side of the room was a full wall of mounted guns. A safe full of ammo. A locked cabinet, storing knives of all shapes and sizes. Her book case spelled out the same contrast. The bottom shelf filled with Dr. Seuss and Harry Potter, the top shelves loaded with every book she could find on survivalism and first aid, on computer engineering, coding, and hacking. 

Karen shook her head, overwhelmed by it all. This was her task. Every weapon needed to be mastered, every book read and understood. That’s what Frank had said… right? 

_ Karen Page. Taught her son to fight. Organize. Prepared him from when he was a kid, when you were in hiding before the war. _

His words echoed back in her mind. 

Karen tapped her swollen stomach with her fingertips, feeling her baby move inside her. Baby boy Connor Page. Sweet little Savior of all mankind. It was a lot to take on. 

Karen's thoughts started to swirl. Moments like these were when she missed Frank the most. Moments when she thought about all she needed to do, all she needed to be, in order to to give Connor what he needed so he could do what would one day be required of him… Frank would be so much better at teaching him than Karen. Then again, Frank said that Connor had been the one to teach him… so if you boil it down… Karen taught Frank through Connor in the future? 

_ Oh my God, stop. _

Karen set her cup down on the kitchen table, irritated. It banged loud enough to bring Scout over to investigate. She rolled her eyes at herself and gave him a pat on the head, promising that everything was ok and he bought it hook, line, and sinker. 

She knew she was about to spiral into a bad mood. There was only one thing that could get her out of this. Writing. Karen had loved her career as a journalist. The loss could have left a hole inside her, but she’d recently discovered a new reason to write. Karen was writing a journal for Connor. She was sure she’d explain everything to him many times as he grew up, but she wanted a written version, especially now, when it was all so fresh in her mind, fresh in her heart. In case anything ever happened to her- she needed Connor to have this. She needed him to understand. 

Karen opened her laptop and when the screen lit up she smiled. On the first page of every entry of this journal, was the photo Frank had taken of her. She didn’t have any photos of Frank, but Frank had taken this shot, and that made it special. She wanted Connor to see it, to know what his father meant to her, to see the way his father made her smile. 

“Where was I?”

She scrolled down to where she’d left off and set her fingers to the keyboard. 

> _ … What’s most difficult for me is trying to decide what to tell you and what not to. But I guess I have a while yet before you’re old enough to even understand these letters. They’re more for me at this point just so I can get it straight. _
> 
> _ Should I tell you about your father? Boy, that’s a tough one. Will it effect your decision to send him here knowing that he is your father? If you don’t send Frank, you can never be. God, a person can go crazy thinking about this. I suppose I will tell you. I owe him that. _
> 
> _ Maybe it’ll help if you know that in the few hours we had together, we loved a lifetime’s worth. _

Karen’s typing paused after that line. A cold gust of wind rushed through her open windows, such a contrast from midday summer heat. She looked out the windows to see a darkening sky, black clouds in the distance. She laid her palm flat against her belly.

“There’s a storm coming in.” 

  
  



End file.
